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An application for an AOC is the first of several steps which a company has to go through before it will be able to mount scheduled air services with Hong Kong registered aircraft. In addition, the company will also have to apply for registration of its aircraft, obtain a licence for a specific route from the Air Transport Licensing Authority and seek designation by the Government for the route concerned. It is not Government policy to invite any particular airline to make an application for any route; the airline concerned would have to apply and fulfil all the necessary requirements before it will be permitted to operate.
(b) At present, scheduled air services between Hong Kong and Taiwan are operated between Hong Kong and two cities in Taiwan, namely Taipei and Kaohsiung. On the Hong Kong? Taipei route. Cathay Pacific Airway's (CPA's) market share was 51.1% in the twelve months up to August 1995. On the Hong Kong? Kaohsiung route, CPA's market share was 53.8% in the same period.
On both of the routes between Hong Kong and Taiwan, there is a choice for consumers. On the Hong Kong? Taipei route (which constitutes 82% of the total traffic between Hong Kong and Taiwan), six other airlines, apart from CPA, operate on the route. They are British Asia Airways, China Airlines. Japan Asia Airways, Singapore Airlines. Garuda Indonesia Airways, and Thai Airways International. On the Hong Kong? Kaohsiung route where traffic is only about 18% of the total traffic between Hong Kong and Taiwan, China Airlines operate on the route in addition to CPA.
End
Applications for search warrants
Following is a question by the Ton Chim Pui-chung and a written reply by the Chief Secretary, the Hon Anson Chan, in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):
Question:
In regard to applications for search warrants by government departments, will the Government inform this Council: