TNAG-0781-FCO40-985-Involvement-of-Hong-Kong-in-air-services-agreements-1978 — Page 312

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Mrs. M.C. Gingell, CRE 4.

Department of Trade, 1 Victoria Street.

ATTACHED

BRITISH AIRWAYS IN HONG KONG.

Hack 184/1

RECEIVEC

DEK OFFICER

INDEX

No

BY MO. 51078

PA

REGISTRY

Action Teken

ECO 030716

bomber, 1978.

I have dusaussed thes with eREY. They

taking

are

the campbunt up

with ĈAER + are caus with CAIR

bringing in someone from HATAY

ught

In my letter ECO 030/16 of 15 August last year I reported wide-spread dissatisfaction over the performance of British Airways on the London/Hong Kong route. Until quite recently British Airways' performance had been much better and I had hoped that the barrage of criticism which faced us whenever our designation became known would gradually die away. Unfortunately, in the last month or so there have again been breakdowns in the daily service most of which seem to have occurred in India. As a result aircraft have been delayed by 24-48 hours or taken out of service altogether.

2. As luck would have it, a particularly bad example occurred

As on Sunday 3 September when a Boeing 747 brokedown at Calcutta. no spare engine was available, the passengers were delayed by about 48 hours. On board were two outspoken members of the Legislative Council, Mr. T.S. Lo and Miss Lydia Dunn. They kept up a barrage of complaints by telephone and telegram to the Financial Secretary and vowed to protest when the Legislative Council re-assembles. The Financial Secretary has told me privately that he fears that British Airways' lack of care for stranded passengers will come up in the context of criticism of their current monopoly of the Hong Kong/MK route.

3. There is no specific complaint against the company

it is once again the old story of inadequate service arrangements for passengers when a breakdown occurs in India see para 2 of my letter under reference. I have, of course

I have, of course, warned the local British Airways manager about the storm which is looming. He was already aware of the problem and tells me that steps were taken in London to try to placate Mr. Lo and Miss Dunn when they arrived there.

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