TNAG-0865-FCO40-1075-Involvement-of-Hong-Kong-in-air-services-agreements-1979 — Page 20

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FM BANGKOK 050900Z OCT 799

TO PRIORITY FCO

TEL NO 535 OF 5 OCTOBER

INDEX

AND TO PRIORITY HONG KONG (FOR BCARFE) AND DOT-LONDON

INFO CANBERRA (FOR ROBERTS).

UK THAI AIR SERVICES

8 OCT 1979

ра

1. TODAY'S ''BANGKOK POST'' REPORTS THE NEW PRESIDENT OF THAI INTERNATIONAL, CAPTAIN BROM NA THALANG, AS SAYING THAT THAI INTERNATIONAL (TG) WILL HOLD TALKS WITH THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT FOR AN AMENDMENT IN THE PRESENT BILATERAL AIR AGREEMENT TO ENABLE TG'S BOEING 747S TO LAND IN THE UK. CAPTAIN BROM REPORTEDLY SAID THAT THE TALKS WOULD HAVE TO BE HELD SOON SO THAT 747 FLIGHTS TO LONDON COULD COMMENCE IN DECEMBER AS SCHEDULED.

2. NIKORN MANEELERT, VICE-PRESIDENT OF TG, HAS CONFIRMED TO US THAT THE THAIS WOULD WELCOME AN EARLY OPPORTUNITY FOR INFORMAL. DISCUSSIONS WITH ROBERTS ON AMENDING THE CMU SIGNED HERE IN MARCH.. NIKORN SAID THAT TG ARE PLANNING TO PUT BACK THE INTRODUCTION OF THEIR FIRST 747 TO NEAR THE END OF 1982, INSTEAD OF JULY 1987, BUT THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE SUBSEQUENT 747'S EARLIER THAN JULY 1981 AND JULY 1982 AS LAID DOWN IN THE..CMU. NIKORN INDICATED THAT TG HAD ALREADY DISCUSSED THIS WITH B. A. IN LONDON.

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