TNAG-0864-FCO40-1074-Involvement-of-Hong-Kong-in-air-services-agreements-1980 — Page 158

GRS 185

TRICTED

RESTRICTED

AKK 184/1

Knives in

·8 MAY 1979

225

FM HONG KONG 040800Z MAY 79

TO IMMEDIATE F C O

TELEGRAM NUMBER 523 OF 4 MAY

INDEX

по

29.5

INFO PRIORITY WASHINGTON, ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON

US/HONG KONG AIR SERVICES.

1. SENIOR OFFICIALS OF BRANIFF INTERNATIONAL CALLED ON DCA ON 1 MAY 1979, AND SAID THAT THE AIRLINE HAD BEEN AUTHORISED BY THE US CAB, IN CONNECTION WITH THE TRANS-PACIFIC LOW-FARE ROUTE INVESTIGATION, TO OPERATE SCHEDULED SERVICES ON THE ROUTE LAX/HNL/GUM/HKG. ALL SERVICES HAD TO CALL AT GUAM FOR AT LEAST A YEAR ALTHOUGH A LONG TERM AIM WAS TO FLY WEST COAST-HONG KONG DIRECT. A TWICE-WEEKLY B747 SERVICE WOULD OPERATE FROM 5 JULY 1979, AND IT WAS EXPECTED THAT SERVICES WOULD BUILD UP IN THE LIGHT OF EXPERIENCE, BRANIFF ALSO WANTED TO OPERATE SERVICES TO SEOUL ALTHOUGH THE PATTERN OF OPERATION WAS NOT CLEAR.

**

2. DCA EXPLAINED THE FORMALITIES REQUIRED BEFORE THE SERVICES COULD COMMENCE AND, IN THIS CONNECTION, WE WOULD BE GRATEFUL TO KNOW IF DOT HAVE ISSUED AN OPERATING PERMIT.

.3. ALTHOUGH WORLD AIRWAYS INDICATED THAT THEY WISHED TO OPERATE

SERVICES TO HONG KONG FROM MARCH 1979 (MY TELNO 1295 OF 10 NOVEMBER), WE HAVE HEARD NOTHING MORE FROM THEM.

MACLEHOSE

FILES

MAED

HK & GD

N AM D SPD

[COPIES SENT TO CAD/DOT]

MISS BROWN

MR CORTAZZI

MR MURRAY

MR LEAHY

COPIES TO

HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE,

LONDON

RESTRICTED