TNAG-0865-FCO40-1075-Involvement-of-Hong-Kong-in-air-services-agreements-1979 — Page 80

GA 275

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

DESKDY GOV AND PCARFE HONG KONG 202330%

FM

0 2016002 AUGUST

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG (GOV AND BCARFE) TELEGRAM NUMBER 663 OF 20 AUGUST

INFO PRIORITY PORT LOUIS,

See 385

U K/MAURITIUS AIR SERVICE TALKS.

Ник

HKK 184/1.

386

RECEIVES SE JE TAYING. ST 2 1 AUG 1979

DEX OFFIESA,

*ction. Tak

IN TALKS STARTED TODAY IN LONDON, MAURITIANS HAVE PUT FORWARD SUBSTANTIVE PROPOSAL FOR A NEW ROUTE FOR THEIR CARRIER TO HONG KONG WITH INTERMEDIATE POINTS AT COLOMBO, BOMBAY, BANGKOK AND SINGAPORE, THIS IS ONE OF SEVERAL PROPOSALS MADE AS THE PRICE OF BA BEING ALLOWED A SECOND 9747. SERVICE BETWEEN LONDON AND MAURITIUS. THERE IS LITTLE LOGIC IN THE MAURITIAN PROPOSALS, THE BASIS OF WHICH IS THAT IN TOTAL THEIR CARRIER SHOULD OPERATE EQUIVALENT CAPACITY TO B A'S 2 BY 8747'S, BUT USING B707'S OR OTHER AIRCRAFT AND NOT NECESSARILY ON THE SAME ROUTE. AIR MAURITIUS AT PRESENT HAVE ONLY

ONE LEASED B707 AIRCRAFT AND THEREFORE COULD NOT OPERATE THE SCALE OF SERVICE TO HONG KONG/LONDON WHICH WOULD GIVE THEM EQUAL CAPACITY OVERALL TO B A'S 2 BY B747. MOREOVER, THE THIRD/FOURTH FREEDOM TRAFFIC BETWEEN MAURITIUS AND HONG KONG SEEMS UNLIKELY TO JUSTIFY

A SERVICE.

2. SOME REFERENCE WAS MADE TO A HONG KONG ROUTE IN EALIER TALKS

WITH MAURITIANS BUT IT WAS NOT PURSUED. WE ARE NOT AWARE OF AMY U K OR HONG KONG INTEREST IN OPERATING SUCH A ROUTE, AT LEAST IN THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE. IF THEY WERE ABLE TO OPERATE, AIR MAURITIUS MOULD WANT FULL FIFTH FREEDOM RIGHTS AND BRITISH INTERESTS WOULD SUFFER ON THAT SCORE. WE REGARD THE DEMAND AS UNJUSTIFIABLE, BUT IT COULD PROVE TO BE A STICKING POINT IN THE TALKS. WE HAVE IT IN MIND, THEREFORE, IF NECESSARY, TO WRITE INTO A C M U THAT WE WOULD BE PREPARED TO NEGOTIATE A ROUTE TO HONG KONG FOR MAURITIUS IF AND

WHEN A UK DESIGNATED AIRLINE WISHED TO OPERATE A RECIPROCAL

SERVICE TO MAURITIUS,

3.

GRATEFUL FOR YOUR COMMENTS IF POSSIBLE DESKBY 210800Z.

CARRINGTON

FILES

MAED

EAD

MISS BROWN

Cofiesto:

MRP BRYANT CHIRDOT

[COPIES SENT TO CAR|Dor]

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