TNAG-0331-FCO40-367-Visits-of-Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-and-Commonwealth-Af-1972 — Page 46

of nine hours, this would mean leaving Tokyo at, for example, 1930 hrs on Friday 18 February and arriving in London at 1530 hrs on Saturday 19 February.

3. To hire a larger plane would be too expensive. An alternative is to abandon the Comet and to take up BOAC's offer of a special scheduled flight from Tokyo to London over the pole which would get one into London early on Saturday morning. I do not think we

disousied with S. could justify this to the Civil Service Department. 5. alowe plan to leave Tokyo Sat. an, stop sut right at walkins they

Sunday.

Liedon on

ento

Danair might be able to take off between £600 and £1,000 from the cost of the charter, while the cost of tickets on the schedule flight would be over £2,000. We therefore come back to a slow, tiring and laborious journey home, but there will be the rest of the weekend to recover.

4. Normally Danair operate from Gatwick. They do not seem to envisage any difficulties about leaving from Heathrow.

5. Mr. Barrance will let me know as soon as possible about the configuration of the aircraft. I said that we would like as many bunks as possible, compatible with fifteen to eighteen seats.

C.C. Sir S. Tomlinson

Mr. Laird

Mr. Sutherland

Mr Lenny PEA

Lady Home

/CRO

(P. H. Grattan)

27 January, 1972