XN000022-1989-02-15 — Page 21

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1989

EFFORTS MADE TO DEAL WITH DEMAND FOR AIRCRAFT SEATS

*

BOTH THE GOVERNMENT AND THE AIRLINES HAVE MADE EFFORTS TO DEAL WITH INCREASING DEMAND FOR AIRCRAFT SEATS, THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, THE HON PIERS JACOBS, INFORMED THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

"TO MEET DEMAND, HONG KONG'S AIRLINES HAVE EXPANDED THEIR SCHEDULED SERVICES ON THE ROUTES IN QUESTION, WHERE THE RIGHTS TO DO SO WERE AVAILABLE," MR JACOBS SAID IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON DAVID CHEUNG.

**THIS HAS ALSO MEANT THAT THE AIRLINES OPERATING THE ROUTES FROM THE OTHER END HAVE ALSO INCREASED THE NUMBER OF THEIR SERVICES CORRESPONDINGLY.

A CASE IN POINT WAS THE EXPANSION OF SERVICES BETWEEN HONG KONG AND JAPAN, HE SAID.

AN

ADDITIONALLY, MR JACOBS SAID BOTH HONG KONG AND FOREIGN AIRLINES HAD OPERATED EXTRA SCHEDULED SERVICES TO MEET DEMAND, EXAMPLE BEING THE HONG KONG-AUSTRALIA ROUTES IN RECENT MONTHS.

"MOREOVER, ONE HONG KONG AIRLINE HAS INCREASED ITS THERE OPERATIONS, IN PARTICULAR TO POINTS IN CHINA FOR WHICH RIGHTS TO SCHEDULED OPERATIONS," HE SAID.

ARE

CHARTER NO

"THIS AIRLINE HAS ALSO INAUGURATED CHARTER SERVICES IN CERTAIN CASES WHERE CAPACITY ON SCHEDULED SERVICES BETWEEN HONG THOSE CITIES WAS, FOR THE TIME BEING, INADEQUATE TO MEET DEMAND.

KONG

AND

MR JACOBS ALSO POINTED OUT THAT HONG KONG'S PASSENGER AIRLINES HAD EXPANDED THEIR FLEETS, AND THERE WERE PLANS

ACQUIRE MORE AIRCRAFT THIS YEAR.

ΤΟ

MEANWHILE, HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT HAD BEEN SEEKING, THROUGH NEGOTIATIONS, RIGHTS FOR ADDITIONAL CAPACITY ON CERTAIN ROUTES.

COULD HAVE "IT IS POSSIBLE THAT, IN SOME CASES, MORE CAPACITY BEEN PROVIDED IF THE GOVERNMENT HAD BEEN WILLING TO CONCLUDE UNBALANCED ARRANGEMENTS IN FAVOUR OF THOSE NEGOTIATING PARTNERS CONCERNED, MR JACOBS SAID.

OF

"BUT THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN DETRIMENTAL TO HONG KONG'S OVERALL, LONGER-TERM INTERESTS, AND CONTRAFY TO NORMAL PRINCIPLES RECIPROCITY GOVERNING SCHEDULED SERVICES."

ON MR CHEUNG'S SUGGESTION THAT MORE THAN ONE HONG KONG

THOSE ROUTES WHERE

SHOULD BE DESIGNATED "TO OPERATE ON OUTSTRIPS EXISTING CAPACITY", MR JACOBS SAID THAT MIGHT APPEAR A SIMPLE, SPEEDY AND EASY SOLUTION.

THE

AIRLINE DEMAND TO BE

"BUT IT