WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1987
NO INTENTION TO RESTRICT NUMBER OF HK AIRLINES
*****
THE GOVERNMENT HAS NO INTENTION TO RESTRICT THE NUMBER OF HONG KONG AIRLINES IN OPERATING SCHEDULED SERVICES, THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, THE HON PIERS JACOBS, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
SPEAKING AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, HE SAID THERE HAD BEEN MISCONCEPTIONS RECENTLY ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY ON THE DESIGNATION OF HONG KONG AIRLINES, AND REPORTS SAYING THE GOVERNMENT WOULD STAND BY ITS DECISION +TO MAINTAIN A ONE-AIRLINE SYSTEM.+
MR JACOBS THEN EXPLAINED WHAT STEPS MUST BE TAKEN BEFORE A HONG KONG AIRLINE COULD BE DESIGNATED TO FLY ANY PARTICULAR ROUTE, AND WHY THE GOVERNMENT ADOPTED ITS PRESENT POLICY ON DESIGNATION.
TO START COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS, HE SAID, AN AIRLINE MUST FIRST OBTAIN AN AIR OPERATOR'S CERTIFICATE AND THE NECESSARY QUALIFIED PERSONNEL.
THEN IT MUST APPLY TO THE AIR TRANSPORT LICENSING AUTHORITY (ATLA) FOR A LICENCE TO OPERATE THE PARTICULAR SCHEDULED FLIGHTS.
CHAIRED BY A HIGH COURT JUDGE AND COMPRISING MEMBERS FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR, THE ATLA, IN DETERMINING AN APPLICATION, MUST HAVE REGARD TO THE CO-ORDINATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF AIR SERVICES WITH THE OBJECT OF ENSURING THE MOST EFFECTIVE SERVICES TO THE PUBLIC WHILE AVOIDING UNECONOMICAL OVERLAPPING OF SERVICES, MR JACOBS SAID,
IN A WRITTEN DECISION DATED JANUARY 23, 1986, ATLA MADE IT CLEAR THAT IF IT CONSIDERED THAT A CASE HAD BEEN MADE OUT FOR A LICENCE FOR A PARTICULAR ROUTE, IT WOULD GRANT THE LICENCE IRRESPECTIVE OF WHETHER RIGHTS TO EXERCISE IT WERE AVAILABLE OR NOT, AND IRRESPECTIVE OF WHATEVER VIEW THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT MIGHT TAKE IN RESPECT OF DESIGNATING HONG KONG AIRLINES FOR THE ROUTE IN QUESTION.
MR JACOBS STRESSED THAT ATLA WAS AN INDEPENDENT BODY MAKING ITS OWN DECISIONS ON LICENCE APPLICATIONS.
HOWEVER, THE MERE FACT THAT A LICENCE HAD BEEN GRANTED BY ATLA DID NOT MEAN THAT AN AIRLINE COULD IMMEDIATELY AND AUTOMATICALLY START FLYING ON THE PARTICULAR ROUTE.
+T HE NEXT QUESTION TO CONSIDER IS DESIGNATION, WHICH IS A MATTER FOR THE GOVERNMENT, MR JACOBS SAID.
/DESIGNATION WAS