TNAG-0643-FCO40-791-Involvement-of-Hong-Kong-in-air-services-agreements-1977 — Page 237

GR 300 IMMEDIATE

PHER/CAT A

FM HONG KONG 050945Z

CONFIDENTIAL

GONFIDENTIAL

TO IMMEDIATE F.C.O TEL NO.1007 OF 5 OCTOBER,

INFO PRIORITY TOKYO,

U.K/JAPAN AIR SERVICES

OSAKA AIRPORT.

J.TO

1. CATHAY PACIFIC AIRWAYS ADVISE THAT THEY ARE EXPERIENCING

SOME DIFFICULTIES IN COMMENCING WIDE-BODY AIRCRAFT OPERATION

TO OSAKA. IT WOULD SEEM ON THE SURFACE THAT THE JAPANESE ARE

NOT HONOURING THEIR PREVIOUS COMMITMENT IN THIS REGARD ALTHOUGH IT WOULD NOT APPEAR THAT THEY ARE IN ANY CONTRAVENTION OF THE GOVERNMENT TO GOVERNMENT DISCUSSIONS/AGREEMENTS CONCERNING OSAKA

WHICH HAVE TAKEN PLACE IN RECENT YEARS.

2. TO SUM UP THE STORY AS IT HAS BEEN PUT TO US, THE OSAKA

RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION ARE REFUSING TO ALLOW A FURTHER INCREASE

IN WIDE-BODY MOVEMENTS ABOVE THE PRESENT LEVEL OF 50 A DAY

BECAUSE THE JCAB IS FAILING TO HONOUR SOME OF TEN PROMISES

REGARDING COMPENSATION. IT IS UNDERSTOOD THAT A FURTHER 20

MOVEMENTS A DAY WERE TO HAVE STARTED ON 1ST NOVEMBER.

3. ALL 50 OF THE CURRENT WIDE-BODY MOVEMENTS HAVE BEEN ALLOCATED

TO DOMESTIC FLIGHTS ON THE UNDERSTANDING THAT ONE MONTH LATER THE ADDITIONAL 20 WOULD BE INTERNATIONAL MOVEMENTS. CATHAY'

PACIFIC FEELS THAT IF THROUGH THE ACTIONS OF THE JCAB THE

ADDITIONAL 20 MOVEMENTS WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE ON 1ST NOVEMBER

THEN SOME OF THE EXISTING 50 DOMESTIC MOVEMENTS SHOULD BE

RE-ALLOCATED TO INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS. CPA HAVE REQUESTED US

TO ENQUIRE WHETHER THE EMBASSY IN TOKYO COULD MAKE ANY KIND

OF REPRESENTATION ON THIS MATTER WHICH WOULD LEAD TO THE

DESIRED RESULT.

14.

WE

CONFIDENTIAL