4.
CONFIDENTIAL
APART FROM HONG KONG/AUCKLAND OPERATIONS, ANZ WERE ADAMANT THAT OVERALL DIVISION OF TRAFFIC WITH BRITISH AIRWAYS WAS UNREASONABLE.
ARCHER COMMENTED THAT IT WAS A PITY THAT THE AIRLINE APPEARED TO
APPROACH THE QUESTION SOLELY FROM CONSIDERATIONS OF COMMERCIAL
RIVALRY. SURELY MORE WOULD BE GAINED BY THINKING ABOUT SCOPE FOR
CO-OPERATION. EDWARDS THEN JOINED HEALY AND DISCUSSED WHETHER THERE
WAS ANY SCOPE FOR WORKING OUT NEW GROUNDS FOR CO-OPERATION E.G. ·
THROUGH SPECIAL FARES SO THAT ANZ AND BA COULD BE CERTAIN OF EACH
OTHERS TRAFFIC OVER GATEWAYS. EDWARDS COMMENTED THAT PROBLEM WAS
THAT AGAINST BACKGROUND OF GENERAL AIRFARE CUTS IT. WAS INCREASINGLY
DIFFICULT TO TIE THE TRAVELLING PUBLIC DOWN TO PARTICULAR ROUTES.
EDWARDS WOULD BE AVAILABLE TO CONTINUE DISCUSSIONS ON 12 MAY
IF THIS WERE NECESSARY. HE WILL BE ACCOMPANIED IN LONDON BY NORTON
OF HIS MINISTRY AND MATHESON AND TOMS OF AIR NEW ZEALAND (NOT IN OUR VIEW A TEAM TO JUSTIFY ANY HOPES OF A BETTER NZ PERFORMANCE).
EDWARDS WILL BE JOINED IN LONDON FOLLOWING WEEK BY HIS MINISTER
WHO IS NOT PLANNING TO DISCUSS CIVIL AVIATION. MR MCLACHLAN'S
PRESENCE GIVES OPPORTUNITY FOR AN APPROACH TO HIM IN LONDON IF
TALKS WITH EDWARDS GET NOWHERE BUT HE IS NOT AN ASSERTIVE MINISTER.
5. WE THINK THAT IT, MIGHT BE HELPFUL IF OUR REPRESENTATIONS HERE WERE PARALLELED BY APPROACH TO NEW ZEALAND HOUSE IN ADVANCE OF TALKS (? POSSIBLY TO LYNCH). NEW ZEALANDERS WILL STILL BE VERY RELUCTANT TO ALLOW CATHAY PACIFIC EARLY ACCESS TO NEW ZEALAND.
THEY MAY WISH TO EXPLORE NEW WAYS OF CO-OPERATION BETWEEN ANZ AND
BA BUT HEAD OF CHANCERY'S INTERVENTION WITH THE MFA SHOULD HAVE LEFT NEW ZEALANDERS IN NO DOUBT THAT BA CONTINUED ACCESS TO
AUCKLAND IS NOT NEGOTIABLE.
SMEDLEY
FILE S
MAED
SWPD
HK & GD
MR BURROWS MR MURRAY
[COPIES SENT TO CAD/DOT]
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CONFIDENTIAL
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