TNAG-0865-FCO40-1075-Involvement-of-Hong-Kong-in-air-services-agreements-1979 — Page 44

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4. THESE VIEWS SEEM CLOSE TO THOSE OF WIWEKO, AS EXPRESSED T THE AMBASSADOR ON 12 JULY (COHEN'S LETTER TO WILSON OF 16 JULY).

IF TAKEN AT THEIR FACE VALUE, WE CONSIDER THAT CPA WOULD FIND IT DIFFICULT TO SECURE INDONESIAN AGREEMENT TO 10 WIDE-BODIED SERVICES PER WEEK (1.E. SEVEN B747 SERVICES THROUGH SINGAPORE AND THREE TRISTAR SERVICES THROUGH KUALA LUMPUR AND ON TO PERTH), AS THEY HAVE PROPOSED. BUT GARUDA REMAIN EXTREMELY CONFUSED ABOUT THE DEPLOYMENT OF THEIR OWN NEW AIRCRAFT. FOR EXAMPLE, THEY SUGGESTED TO CPA THAT DC10S SURPLUS TO REQUIREMENT ON INTERNATIONAL ROUTES SHOULD BE USED DOMESTICALLY. IT IS UNCLEAR WHERE THAT WOULD LEAVE

THE AIRBUSES,

5. THE GARUDA REPRESENTATIVES ALSO TOLD CPA THAT THEIR ATTITUDE TOWARDS OPERATING INTO LONDON WAS CHANGING AND THEY MIGHT WISH TO CONSIDER EXTENDING THEIR AMSTERDAM SERVICES. THE AMSTERDAM/ LONDON SECTOR COULD BE BLINDED AS WOULD SINGAPORE/JAKARTA FOR BA, CPA UNDERSTAND THAT THE MINISTER FOR COMMUNICATIONS (A FORMER AMBASSADOR TO LONDON) IS PERSONALLY URGING GARUDA TO SERVE THE UK. BUT RELATIONS BETWEEN THE MINISTER AND WIWEKO ARE NOTORIOUSLY BAD AND THE LATTER'S ACQUIESENCE SHOULD NOT BE ASSUMED.

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H K r S D MISS BROWN

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