TNAG-2852-FCO40-4105-Air-services-agreement-between-Hong-Kong-and-Mauritius-1993 — Page 9

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HICC 181/23

RECE

1. MAI 1993

CRY

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 796

OF 190855Z MAY 93

DESK TheLA

INFO DTP, PORT LOUIS, UKREP JLG HONG KONG, PEKING

you

@

071042

MDLIAN 3964

DTP FOR IAD.

HONG KONG/MAURITIUS AIR SERVICES.

1.

AIR SERVICES BETWEEN MAURITIUS AND HONG KONG ARE CURRENTLY

OPERATING UNDER A JOINT SERVICE AGREEMENT SIGNED BETWEEN AIR MAURITIUS AND CATHAY PACIFIC AIRWAYS IN JULY 1989. SINCE THEN AIR MAURITIUS HAVE OPERATED AN ONCE WEEKLY NON-STOP MAURITIUS/HONG KONG V.V. SERVICE ON THE BASIS OF TEMPORARY OPERATING PERMIT.

2.

FOLLOWING THE CONCLUSION OF A NEW HONG KONG/SOUTH AFRICA CMU IN FEBRUARY THIS YEAR UNDER THE NEW UK/SOUTH AFRICA ASA, RIGHTS HAVE BEEN MADE AVAILABLE BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN AUTHORITIES FOR HONG KONG TO MOUNT AN ONCE WEEKLY HONG KONG/MAURITIUS/ JOHANNESBURG V.V. SERVICE WITH FULL FIFTH FREEDOM TRAFFIC RIGHTS. CPA HAVE RECENTLY INFORMED US THAT THEY INTEND TO EXERCISE THESE RIGHTS AND OPERATE SUCH A SERVICE ONE THE NECESSARY RIGHTS FOR HONG KONG HAVE BEEN SECURED FROM THE MAURITIAN AUTHORITIES THROUGH FORMAL AIR SERVICES CONSULTATIONS.

THEIR PLANNED STARTING DATE IS EARLY NOVEMBER 1993. CPA ALSO TOLD

US THAT THEY HAD ALREADY GIVEN NOTICE OF TERMINATION OF THEIR JOINT SERVICE AGREEMENT WITH AIR MAURITIUS WHICH WOULD CEASE TO

HAVE EFFECT FROM 14 NOVEMBER 1993.

3. THE AMOUNT OF END TO END TRAFFIC BETWEEN MAURITIUS AND HONG

KONG HAS GROWN IN RECENT YEARS. THE NUMBER OF VISITOR ARRIVALS FROM MAURITIUS TO HONG KONG WAS ONLY AROUND 3,400 IN 1988. IN 1992, HOWEVER, THE NUMBER OF PASSENGERS CARRIED ON THE MAURITIUS/HONG KONG ROUTE WAS 8,900. THE NUMBER OF PASSENGERS CARRIED ON THE HONG KONG/MAURITIUS ROUTE IN THE SAME YEAR WAS EVEN LARGER, AMOUNTING TO 11,000. THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PASSENGERS CARRIED IN 1992 REPRESENTS A GROWTH OF 19 PERCENT OVER THAT IN 1991. THE AVERAGE LOAD FACTOR OF AIR MAURITIUS' NON-STOP SERVICE HAS ALSO IMPROVED FROM 45 PERCENT IN 1990 TO 56 PERCENT IN 1991, AND FURTHER TO 67 PERCENT IN 1992. THE LOAD FACTOR ON THE HONG KONG/ MAURITIUS SECTOR IN 1992 IS A SATISFACTORY 74.6 PERCENT

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