TNAG-0778-FCO40-982-Involvement-of-Hong-Kong-in-air-services-agreements-1978 — Page 236

R 103

CYPHER/CAT A

FM F C O Ø3183@Z

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

HKK 184/1

RECENLA

738

MAR 1978

No

See F156

60.51

REGISTRY

tion Taken

F

TO ROUTINE VICTORIA SEYCHELLES, TELNO 18 OF 3 MARCH 1978, AND TO GOVERNOR AND B CARFE HONG KONG, NAIROBI.

HONG KONG/EAST AFRICAN AIR SERVICES: SEYCHELLES.

IT

1 AT THE LAST ROUND OF AIR SERVICE TALKS WITH THE SEYCHELLES (16-20 JAN 1978) A DRAFT ROUTE SCHEDULE (STILL AWAITING FINALISATION) WAS PREPOSED TO AN AS A BETWEEN THE UK AND SEYCHELLES BROADLY FORMALISING THE POSITION WHICH

HAS PERSISTED SINCE BEFORE SEYCHELLES' INDEPENDENCE.

INCLUDES THE EXISTING UK ROUTE BETWEEN HONG KONG AND JOHANNESBURG VIA SEYCHELLES. THE SEYCHELLES' GOVERNMENT HAS REQUESTED A ROUTE FROM SEYCHELLES TO HONG KONG (DETAILS TO BE AGREED LATER) AS WELL AS A TRUNK ROUTE TO LONDON (WHICH HAS BEEN AGREED IN PRINCIPLE) TO PARALLEL THE UK TRUNK ROUTE. THERE IS NO REAL PROSPECT OF SERVICES BY THE SEYCHELLES ON EITHER ROUTE, ESPECIALLY AS WE ARE INSISTING ON A FIRM CONTROL OVER THE USE OF LEASED AIRCRAFT (AIR SEYCHELLES IS A PAPER AIRLINE WHOSE ONLY PRESENT FUNCTION IS TO RECEIVE ROYALTIES). WE ASSUME THAT YOU WOULD WELCOME SUCH A PROVISION WHICH WILL EVENTUALLY ENHANCE FURTHER HONG KONG'S AIR LINKS.

OWEN.

FILES MAED

HK & GD

EAD

MR BURROWS

COPIES SENT TO CAD/DOT/

CONFIDENTIAL