TNAG-0643-FCO40-791-Involvement-of-Hong-Kong-in-air-services-agreements-1977 — Page 50

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There

already apparent in the case of the crab flights. would also be much greater difficulties about avoiding parking Chinese aircraft next to those from the Taiwan operator, China Airlines (CAL). We can generally keep Chinese aircraft and CAL aircraft apart if the former use

It would the cargo apron during certain mornings only. be much harder to do this on the passenger apron, particularly if there were several flights in one day. Furthermore, unlike the cargo operations from China, British carriers might well want to get involved in carrying passengers to Canton; we would not necessarily wish to allow the Chinese a monopoly in all charter operations. Finally, we would also have to consider very carefully problems of immigration control.

5.

I should emphasise that the suggestion about Charter flights to and from Canton comes only from Jardines. They have not discussed it with the Chinese and we have no particular reason to believe that the Chinese will agree to the suggestion. Indeed the Chinese might well think that such a scheme would serve only to take traffic away from their section of the Kowloon-Canton Railway.

We may

6.

Because of all the difficulties mentioned above, the Civil Aviation Department were generally discouraging about the Jardines' suggestion. They pointed out a number of the difficulties and said in addition that any such suggestion would have to be cleared with London. well hear no more of the idea. Nevertheless, I think you should be aware of what has been suggested, particularly since people here suspect that the idea may have come from

He may Sir John Keswick who was through here recently. talk to you about it in London. People here also think that Jardines may be looking around for new schemes since they have recently lost a lot of handling business at the airport to Cathay Pacific and are apparently having to lay people off.

7.

I am enclosing an extra copy of this letter in case you wish to pass it to the Department of Trade.

CC

(D C Wilson)

J A B Stewart Esq OBE (HKGD FCO) PJL Popplewell Esq (PEKING)

CONFIDENTIAL