TNAG-0780-FCO40-984-Involvement-of-Hong-Kong-in-air-services-agreements-1978 — Page 61

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4. AS REGARDS THE HEATHROW/GATWICK PROBLEM, ROGERS TOLD THE SCANDINAVIANS THAT WE HAD GIVEN VERY CAREFUL CONSIDERATION TO THEIR PROPOSAL THAT ALL SCHEDULED SERVICES BY BOTH SIDES TO THE LONDON AREA SHOULD IN FUTURE BE OPERATED TO GATWICK. HOWEVER, WE WERE NOT PREPARED TO ACCEPT THIS BECAUSE

A. IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT LONG-HAUL PASSENGERS ARRIVING AT BOTH HEATHROW AND GATWICK SHOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY OF TRANSFERRING ON TO A SERVICE TO ONE OR MORE POINTS IN SCANDINAVIA WITHOUT THE NEED TO TRAVEL FROM ONE AIRPORT TO THE OTHER., AND

B. THE TRANSFER TO GATWICK OF THE WHOLE OF THE SCANDINAVIAN TRAFFIC WOULD ENTAIL A CONSIDERABLE CROSS-OVER OF AIR TRAFFIC ON THE APPROACHES TO LONDON WHICH COULD BE SAFELY HANDLED ONLY

AT THE EXPENSE OF CONSIDERABLE DELAYS..

THIS MEANT THAT THERE WOULD HAVE TO BE PARALLEL SERVICES FROM HEATHROW AND GATWICK TO ONE OR MORE SCANDINAVIAN POINTS. HOWEVER, WE WERE NOT INSISTING THAT SAS SHOULD SPLIT THEIR SERVICES BETWEEN THE TWO AIRPORTS, ALTHOUGH WE BELIEVED THAT IF THEY REALLY WANTED TO DO SO, IT WOULD NOT IMPOSE ANY SERIOUS OPERATIONAL PENALTIES,

5. DESPITE HAVING THEMSELVES OPTED FOR 31 DECEMBER 1978 AS THE DATE FOR THE TERMINATION OF THE THREE AGREEMENTS, THE SCANDINAVIANS SUGGESTED THAT SERVICES COULD BE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE, WITHOUT AGREEMENT, FOR QUOTE ONE OR TWO YEARS UNQUOTE.

WE HAVE DISABUSED THEM OF THIS, SINCE IT IS VERY MUCH IN THEIR INTEREST TO LET THE PRESENT STATE OF AFFAIRS DRIFT ON.

6. THE POSSIBILITY OF A ROUTE TO HONG KONG WAS NOT RAISED AND THERE WAS NO SUBSTANTIAL DISCUSSION ON FARES.

7. WE SHALL BE GRATEFUL FOR ANY ACTION YOU CAN TAKE TO ENCOURAGE THE SCANDINAVIANS TO RE-THINK THEIR POSITION, SO THAT WE MAY HAVE A REALLY FRUITFUL SESSION WHEN TALKS RESUME ON 25 SEPTEMBER. (WE OFFERED AN EARLIER DATE WHICH WAS DECLINED, ALTHOUGH BOGH DID NOT RULE OUT A POSSIBLE INFORMAL TALK MEANWHILE BETWEEN HEADS OF DELEGATION).

OWEN

FILES.

MARA

WED

MISS BROWN MR FERGUSSEN

не

HK&GD. HE MURRAY

[COPIES SENT CAR/DOT]

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