TNAG-0643-FCO40-791-Involvement-of-Hong-Kong-in-air-services-agreements-1977 — Page 55

GR 400

PRIORITY

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HICK 184/3

раз

20DF

CYPHER/CAT A

FM HONG KONG 160945Z

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TO PRIORITY F.C.O TELNO.1271 OF 16 DECEMBER 77,

INFO BEIRUT.

YOUR TELNOS.915 OF 25 NOVEMBER AND 947 OF 7 DECEMBER: U.K/LEBANON AIR SERVICES.

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1. INFORMATION RECEIVED HERE BOTH ORALLY AND IN WRITING CONFIRMS THE CORRECTNESS OF YOUR INFORMATION IN THAT TMA ARE SEEKING ONLY 3RD/4TH FREEDOM RIGHTS BETWEEN HONG KONG AND BEIRUT WEST BOUND. THE SERVICES WILL NOT CALL AT HONG KONG EAST BOUND BUT PRESUMABLY CARGO BEIRUT/HONG KONG COULD BE CARRIED RIGHT ROUND THE ROUTE. THE STATISTICS OF FREIGHT CARRIED LEBANON/HONG KONG IN THE PAST. THREE YEARS ARE OF COURSE SEVERELY DISTORTED BY THE CIVIL WAR,

ETC.

HOWEVER, FREIGHT IMPORTED TO HKG FROM BEY BY TMA AMOUNTS

THIS COMPARES TO TOTAL TO 65,889 KGS FOR APRIL/SEPTEMBER 1977. IMPORTS OF 77,355 KGS ON THE SAME ROUTE IN FY 1976/77, AND 189,902 KGS IN FY 1975/76, WITH EXPORTS OF 138,456 KGS HKG/BEY IN 1975/76.

2. THERE ARE CURRENTLY NO DIRECT SCHEDULED SERVICES BETWEEN HONG KONG AND BEIRUT. TMA ARE VOLUNTARILY SUGGESTING THAT CAPACITY SHOULD BE LIMITED TO THREE PALLETS PER FLIGHT (SAY 7,000 KILOS) AND THIS WOULD PROVIDE CONSIDERABLY MORE CAPACITY THAN SEEMS JUSTIFIED BY THE STATISTICS. HOWEVER, TMA ENVISAGE ONWARD CARRIAGE FROM BEIRUT TO ARAB MARKETS SUCH AS JEDDAH, KHARTOUM, BAGHDAD AND LIBYA WHICH THEY CLAIM CANNOT BE EASILY

BOTH U.K SERVED BY CONNECTING SERVICES OVER BAHRAIN OR DUBAI. AND HONG KONG WILL OF COURSE BE CONCERNED AT THE POSSIBILITY OF 6TH FREEDOM EROSION OF EXISTING SERVICES TO THE GULF AND TO EUROPE BUT IT WOULD SEEM UNREASONABLE (IF SERVICES ARE TO BE PERMITTED AT ALL BY TMA) TO ATTEMPT TO LIMIT THE CAPACITY TO

WE WOULD APPRECIATE EVEN LESS THAN THREE PALLETS PER FLIGHT. LEARNING D.O.T'S VIEWS ON THIS ASPECT.

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