FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1991
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NEW AIR SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH NEW ZEALAND SIGNED
AN AIR SERVICES AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AND THE NEW ZEALAND GOVERNMENT WAS SIGNED IN HONG KONG TODAY (FRIDAY).
THE SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC SERVICES, MRS ANSON CHAN, SIGNED ON BEHALF OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT UNDER THE AUTHORISATION OF THE UNITED KINGDOM AND THE NEW ZEALAND MINISTER OF TRANSPORT, MR ROB STOREY, SIGNED ON BEHALF OF THE NEW ZEALAND GOVERNMENT .
THE HONG KONG/NEW ZEALAND ASA IS THE SIXTH SUCH AGREEMENT DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THE SINO-BRITISH JOINT DECLARATION IN MIND. OTHERS HAVE BEEN SIGNED WITH THE NETHERLANDS, SWITZERLAND, CANADA, BRUNEI AND FRANCE.
1997.
THESE AGREEMENTS ARE CAPABLE OF REMAINING IN FORCE AFTER
UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF THE JOINT DECLARATION, THE HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION WILL ALSO BE ABLE, AFTER 1997, TO CONCLUDE, UNDER SPECIFIC AUTHORISATIONS FROM THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT, ITS OWN AIR SERVICES AGREEMENTS SEPARATE FROM THOSE OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA.
SPEAKING AT THE SIGNING CEREMONY THIS MORNING, MRS CHAN SAID THAT HONG KONG'S AVIATION RELATIONS WITH NEW ZEALAND DATED BACK OVER A QUARTER OF A CENTURY.
'WHEN AIR SERVICES BETWEEN US FIRST STARTED IN THE MID-60'S, AIR NEW ZEALAND FLEW BETWEEN HONG KONG AND AUCKLAND TWICE A WEEK, WITH TWO EN ROUTE STOPS, USING DC8 AIRCRAFT.
"TODAY, THE SAME TWO CITIES ARE SERVED ON A DIRECT ROUTEING BY BOTH CATHAY PACIFIC AIRWAYS AND AIR NEW ZEALAND UNDER A CO- OPERATIVE ARRANGEMENT, EACH OPERATING TWO WEEKLY FREQUENCIES WITH BOEING 747 AIRCRAFT, MRS CHAN SAID, POINTING OUT THAT THE JOURNEY TIME FROM AUCKLAND TO HONG KONG HAS BEEN CUT FROM 16 HOURS TO ONLY 10.5 HOURS.
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'WE HAVE SEEN A STEADY GROWTH IN AIR TRAFFIC SINCE INTRODUCTION OF THE CO-OPERATIVE SERVICES BETWEEN CATHAY PACIFIC AIRWAYS AND AIR NEW ZEALAND IN DECEMBER 1986.
"IN THE FIRST FULL YEAR OF OPERATION UNDER THE JOINT VENTURE, 32,000 PASSENGERS AND APPROXIMATELY ONE MILLION KILOGRAMS OF CARGO WERE CARRIED.
"IN 1989-90, THE TRAFFIC LOAD INCREASED TO 70,000 AND TWO MILLION KILOGRAMS OF CARGO.
PASSENGERS
"WE ARE ENCOURAGED BY THIS TREND AND LOOK FORWARD TO FURTHER EXPANSION OF THE MARKET.
/"WE ATTACH