WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 1980
4
AIR TALKS BETWEEN UK HK AND CANADA TO CONTINUE IN OTTAWA
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THE UNITED KINGDOM AND CANADIAN AERONAUTICAL AUTHORITIES WILL HOLD ANOTHER ROUND OF TALKS IN AN ATTEMPT TO BREAK THE DEADLOCK IN THE AIR SERVICES TALKS IN LONDON LAST WEEK.
THE TALKS HAVE BEEN TENTATIVELY ARRANGED TO TAKE PLACE IN OTTAWA IN MID-JUNE.
THE DISCUSSIONS HAVE SO FAR FAILED TO FIND AN ACCEPTABLE SOLUTION TO CANADIAN PACIFIC'S 30-YEAR-OLD MONOPOLY OF THE ROUTE BETWEEN HONG KONG AND VANCOUVER.
BOTH THE UK AND HONG KONG CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITIES BELIEVE THAT THE CANADIAN MONOPOLY IS AGAINST THE INTEREST OF THE TRAVELLING PUBLIC AND OF CATHAY PACIFIC AIRWAYS AND LAKER AIRWAYS WHO WISH TO OPERATE ON THIS ROUTE.
MR NORMAN LATHAM, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF CIVIL AVIATION, WHO REPRESENTED THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AT THE TALKS IN LONDON LAST WEEK SAID THAT ALTHOUGH THE CANADIAN SIDE WAS RESPONSIVE TO THE REQUIREMENT FOR A BRITISH ROUTE ACROSS THE PACIFIC FROM HONG KONG TO VANCOUVER, THEIR NEGOTIATOR HAD MADE IT CLEAR THAT NOTHING COULD BE AGREED UNTIL A SATISFACTORY SETTLEMENT HAD BEEN ARRIVED AT FOR NORTH ATLANTIC SERVICES.
+IN THIS RESPECT, THE CANADIANS WILL NOT ALLOW BRITISH AIRWAYS TO OPERATE FROM LONDON TO WESTERN CANADA WITHOUT COMPENSATION BEING PAID WHICH INCLUDES ACCESS TO THE LONDON-HONG KONG CABOTAGE ROUTE FOR AIR CANADA,+ HE SAID.
MR LATHAM COMMENTED THAT IN THE VIEW OF THE UK AND HONG KONG AERONAUTICAL AUTHORITIES, THE CANADIAN DEMANDS WERE EXTREMELY UNREASONABLE AND UNACCEPTABLE.
BEACON HILL RAILWAY TUNNEL BREAKTHROUGH
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CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW $78 MILLION DOUBLE-TRACK BEACON HILL RAILWAY TUNNEL REACHED AN IMPORTANT STAGE TODAY (WEDNESDAY) WHEN IT HAD ITS +BREAKTHROUGH+.
THE BREAKTHROUGH WAS ACHIEVED AT NOON WHEN THE DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENT OF PWD, MR DAVID STEAD DETONATED AN EXPLOSIVE CHARGE TO REMOVE THE LAST ROCK SEPARATING THE EXCAVATIONS FROM THE NORTH AND SOUTH ENDS OF THE 2.3-KILOMETRE TUNNEL.
AFTER THE BREAKTHROUGH, THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY WAS +PUR IF IED+ BY SPRINKLING SAKE ON THE GROUND.
/MR STEAD,