TNAG-0780-FCO40-984-Involvement-of-Hong-Kong-in-air-services-agreements-1978 — Page 78

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IT WAS AGREED THAT BA SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO OPERATE

TWO SERVICES P.W. TO NEW ZEALAND THROUGH AUSTRALIA WITH COMBINATION OF THIRD/FOURTHS BUT WITHOUT FIFTH FREEDOM RIGHTS ACROSS THE TASMAN. ROWLAND REQUESTED, AND IT WAS AGREED, THAT THIS ARRANGEMENT WOULD BE COVERED IN A SIDE LETTER AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME AND WOULD NOT FORM PART OF ANY PUBLISHED AGREEMENT. ROWLAND ALSO REQUESTED THAT THIS MIGHT BE REVIEWED WHEN UK HAD CONCLUDED ITS NEGOTIATIONS FOR A NEW AIR SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH NEW ZEALAND. ROGERS AGREED.

5. AIRCRAFT CONFIGURATION

IT WAS ACCEPTED THAT BA AND QF SHOULD EACH OPERATE THEIR PREFERRED AIRCRAFT CONFIGURATIONS BUT THAT THE AIRLINES

WOULD REVIEW THE SITUATION IN THE LIGHT OF OPERATING EXPERIENCE. 6. A SECOND POINT IN THE UK FOR QF

THE AUSTRALIANS REQUESTED THAT IT SHOULD BE LEFT OPEN FOR OF TO OPERATE TO A SECOND POINT IN THE NORTH OF ENGLAND TO MEET THE NEEDS OF AUSTRALIANS WHO PREFERRED TO TRAVEL DIRECT THERE IN PREFERENCE TO LONDON. QF HAD NO IMMEDIATE

PLANS FOR SUCH OPERATIONS BUT THE NEED MIGHT ARISE IN THE FUTURE IF THE AAERNATIVE OF TRAVELLING TO AND FROM THE NORTH OF ENGLAND OVER AMSTERDAM, WHICH KLM CLAIMED WAS A PREFERRED CHOICE OF MANY AUSTRALIANS, WAS TO BE NO LONGER AVAILABLE AS A CONSEQUENCE OF KLM'S SERVICE TO AUSTRALIA BEING WITHDRAWN OR REDUCED. ROGERS SAID HE FORESAW NO PROBLEMS IN MEETING THIS REQUEST, AND

INDEED FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF UK AIRPORT POLICY IT WAS ATTRACTĪVE: THOUGH HE QUESTIONED WHETHER IT WOULD BE OPERATIONALLY FEASIBLE. 7. CONCORDE

THE AUSTRALIANS ARE CLEARLY WORRIED THAT THE LEVEL OF

1ST CLASS TRAFFIC BETWEEN AUSTRALIA AND THE UK WILL NOT SUPPORT BOTH CONCORDE SERVICES AT A LEVEL OF THREE OR FOUR A WEEK AS WELL AS THE FIRSTCLASS CAPACITY PROVIDED IN THE SUB-SONIC SERVICES. WHILST IT WAS ACCEPTED THAT THE EXTENSION OF CONCORDE SERVICES BEYOND SINGAPORE TO MEL WOULD MOST LIKELY BE EFFECTED THROUGH SOME FORM OF COMMERCIAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN BA, QF AND SQ ROGERS SAID HE DID NOT WANT THIS TO BE THE ONLY OPTION AVAILABLE. HE WOULD WANT THE POSSIBILITY TO REMAIN OPEN FOR BA TO OPERATE THE SERVICE WITH FIFTH FREEDOM RIGHTS BETWEEN SIN AND MEL, ROWLAND DOUBTED WHETHER SINGAPORE WOULD GRANT SUCH RIGHTS AND THEY WERE ALSO MINDFUL OF ADVERSE REACTION FROM OTHER S.E. ASIAN CARRIERS WHOSE FIRST CLASS TRAFFIC MIGHT ALSO BE AFFECTED. IT WAS AGREED THAT THE QUESTION SHOULD BE LEFT OVER FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION.

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18. APPROACHES