TNAG-2355-FCO40-3426-Visit-by-Douglas-Hurd--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-and-Co-1991 — Page 206

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO DESKBY 08083OZ F C O

TELNO 747

OF 08070OZ MARCH 91

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

CONFIDENTIAL

•HKD. 026/9

Ро

(10

141713 MDHIAN 7074

Say Somet

W

FOR CONFERENCE SECTION, PROTOCOL DEPARTMENT

YOUR TELNO 441 - POSSIBLE VISIT BY SECRETARY OF STATE

1. WE HAVE MADE DISCREET ENQUIRIES WITH DRAGONAIR. A ONE-WAY CHARTER ON A B737 AIRCRAFT TO PEKING WOULD COST HKD 343,000. A TRI-STAR (B737 HAS NO FIRST CLASS) COULD BE HKD 843,000. TO FIT IN WITH YOUR PROPOSED ARRANGEMENTS THESE FIGURES WOULD OF COURSE NEED TO BE DOUBLED TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF RETURN JOURNEY.

2.

DRAGONAIR HAVE A SCHEDULED TRISTAR FLIGHT LEAVING HONG KONG AT 0820 ON 4 APRIL. THERE IS ALSO A RETURN FLIGHT ON 8 APRIL ARRIVING HONG KONG 1520. HOWEVER, THESE FLIGHTS ARE QUITE BUSY SO WE HAVE RESERVED A BLOCK OF 10 FIRST CLASS SEATS ON 4 APRIL (THE ONLY ONES STILL AVAILABLE) AND 20 SEATS ON 8 APRIL. WE HAVE NOT OF COURSE GIVEN ANY NAME. WITHOUT FURTHER DETAILS DRAGONAIR ARE UNWILLING TO RESERVE PLACES BEYOND CLOSE OF PLAY THIS EVENING (8 MARCH) ALTHOUGH WE WILL TRY TO EXTEND THIS.

3. THE COST OF A FIRST CLASS SCHEDULED RETURN TICKET TO PEKING IS HKD 5080. AN ECONOMY CLASS TICKET IS HKD 3420. THERE IS NO BUSINESS CLASS. WE ASSUME THAT THE COSTS OF CHARTERING AN AIRCRAFT WILL BE PROHIBITIVE AND WOULD THEREFORE BE GRATEFUL FOR AN INDICATION DESKBY 090130Z AS TO WHETHER WE SHOULD PURSUE THE TENTATIVE BOOKINGS WE HAVE MADE WITH THE AIRLINE.

THERE ARE NO SMALLER SUITABLE AIRCRAFT AVAILABLE FOR CHARTER

IN HONG KONG.

4.

FORD

YYYY

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CONFIDENTIAL