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004724
MDLOAN 0718
RESTRICTED FM FCO
TO ROUTINE CANBERRA TELNO 495
OF 15090OZ AUGUST 91
INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG
HRC181/25
нис
Plw
UK/HK/AUSTRALIA AIR SERVICES
1.
THE SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC SERVICES. HONG KONG. HAS RESPONDED TO EVANS' LETTER AND FIELDER, DTP, TO THAT FROM BUCKINGHAM. COPIES BY FAX. PLEASE PASS ON FIELDER'S LETTER ORIGINAL FOLLOWS BY BAG. WE ASSUME DELIVERY OF HONG KONG'S LETTER HAS ALREADY BEEN ARRANGED.
2.
SEPARATELY BA HAS REPORTED THE ACTIVITIES OF THE TRADE PRACTICES' COMMISSION (TPC) IN INVESTIGATING THE IMPLICATIONS FOR COMPETITION OF QANTAS AND AIR NEW ZEALAND'S CAPACITY ARRANGEMENTS ON THE TRANS-TASMAN ROUTE. AS YOU KNOW BA HAS LONG BEEN PRESSING FOR TRAFFIC RIGHTS ON ITS THIRD WEEKLY TRANS-TASMAN SERVICE. BA WONDER WHETHER WE MIGHT USE THE OPPORTUNITY OF THE COMMISSION'S ENQUIRIES TO RAISE THIS MATTER AGAIN WITH THE AUSTRALIAN AUTHORITIES. DTP ARE SUGGESTING TO BA THAT ANY ACTION SHOULD WAIT FOR THE OUTCOME OF THE HONG KONG/AUSTRALIA WORKING GROUP IN LATE AUGUST AND FOR RECEIPT OF COUNSEL'S OPINION ON THE ARGUMENTS WE HAVE BEEN DEPLOYING ON THE 1974 CMU AND SINGAPORE HUB QUESTION. WE HOPE TO HAVE COUNSEL'S OPINION BY MID-SEPTEMBER.
3.
GRATEFUL IF, IN THE MEANTIME, YOU COULD ADVISE ABOUT THE TPC AND ITS ACTIVITIES, IN PARTICULAR THE STATUS OF THE COMMISSION, ITS POWERS, ITS ABILITY TO REPORT/MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS. THE POSSIBLE OUTCOME OF ITS ENQUIRIES AND THE TIME SCALE. GRATEFUL ALSO IF YOU WOULD USE ANY SUITABLE OPPORTUNITIES TO QUIETLY REMIND THE AUSTRALIAN AUTHORITIES THAT BA AND THE UK CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR IMPROVED TRANS-TASMAN RIGHTS.
CHALKER
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