TNAG-0643-FCO40-791-Involvement-of-Hong-Kong-in-air-services-agreements-1977 — Page 171

PP HONG KONG (FOR BCARFE)

GRS315

CYPHER CAT A

FM D T 1 021447Z

RESTRICTED

Capyt

Jacks

ARK 18+ 3

No

4 NOV

129 HK & GAT Jees

FED

PUSD (2)

TO PRIORITY HONG FOR BCARFE TELNO ALLOT 133 OF 2 NOVEMBER, 1977, INFO TOKYO,

FOR ROGERS.

WHOLE-PLANE CHARTERS HEATHROW/GATWICK.

AS PART OF THEIR PROPOSALS FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE POLICY OF TRANSFER OF WHOLE-PLANE CHARTERS AWAY FROM HEATHROW, BAA HAVE RECENTLY SENT A LETTER TO ALL PRESENT OPERATORS OF WHOLE- PLANE CHARTERS TO HEATHROW, INFORMING THEM THAT IT IS BAA'S INTENTION TO LIMIT ANY TRANSFER OF WHOLE-PLANE CHARTER ACTIVITY TO GATWICK, TO THOSE OPERATORS ALREADY ESTABLISHED THERE - THE ONLY CARRIERS THEREBY ENTITLED TO TRANSFER CHARTERS TO GATWICK WOULD BE BA AND AEROFLOT. BAA INTEND OTHER CARRIERS TO TRANSFER THEIR WHOLE-PLANE CHARTER OPERATIONS FROM HEATHROW TO STANSTED. JAL, LONDON, HAVE TELEPHONED ASKING FOR CLARIFICATION OF THE POSITION. WE ASSUME THEREFORE THAT THIS SUBJECT COULD BE RAISED WITH YOU BY YAMAJI.

2. WE TAKE THE LINE THAT THE AIRPORT TO BE USED FROM 1 APRIL 1978 BY THE OPERATORS OF WHOLE-PLANE CHARTERS WHO USE HEATHROW AT PRESENT IS A MATTER FOR NEGOTIATION BETWEEN THE AIRLINE AND THE

BAA. IT IS NOT THE GOVERNMENT'S INTENTION TO REQUIRE AIRLINES

TO USE A SPECIFIC AIRPORT FOR CHARTER OPERATIONS AND WE REST

ON THE MINISTER'S ANNOUNCEMENT THAT THEY ARE TO BE EXCLUDED FROM HEATHROW. AT THE SAME TIME WE HAVE URGED BAA (LEDSOME WROTE TO BAILEY, BAA DIRECTOR GATWICK ON 27 OCTOBER) TO APPLY THEIR GATWICK/STANSTED POLICY WITH DISCRETION AND FLEXIBILITY.

3. IF JCAB RAISE THE ISSUE YOU MAY WISH TO SAY THAT WE ARE STILL DISCUSSING THE DETAILS OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE POLICY OF TRANSFER WITH BAA AND YOU MAY ALSO WISH TO DRAW ON PARA 2 ABOVE FOR THE BACKGROUND.

4. SINCE WE ARE STILL AWAITING A REPLY FROM BAA TO THE LEDSOME LETTER WE HAVE NOT YET GIVEN JAL LONDON ANY SUBSTANTIVE REPLY TO ITS ENQUIRY, WE WILL NOW ALSO WAIT BEFORE REPLYING TO JAL, LONDON TO SEE WHETHER THIS MATTER IS RAISED WITH YOU BY THE JAPANESE.

5. WE HAVE COPIED THE CORRESPONDENCE TO TOKYO BY BAG WHICH SHOULD REACH YOU ON TUESDAY.

DT I

43

NNNN