Auck.-Hong Kong flight change?

Press, 16 February 1982, Page 26

Auck.-Hong Kong flight change?

NZPA staff correspondent Hong Kong

The direct orice-a-week flight between Auckland and Hong Kong could be replaced by another airline.flying by way of Port Moresby if Air New Zealand goes ahead with its proposed London service.

Informed sources in Hong Kong have said that Air Niugini. the Papua New Guinea flag-carrier, will.be involved in forthcoming talks between Air New Zealand and the Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific.

Air New Zealand’s right to fly the Hong Kong route is linked to the right which British Airways has to provide a service between London and Auckland.

During bilateral talks involving British and New Zealand Government officials in Wellington in December, Air New Zealand was given landing rights in London and the need to maintain services between Auckland and Hong Kong was reaffirmed.

Financially troubled Air New Zealand last year abandoned tentative plans to introduce the larger-capacity Boeing 747 aircraft on the Auckland to Hong Kong route and then reduced its DCIO service from two flights to one' There are continuing rumours , that it

has no wish to maintain the route.

An Air New Zealand service to London will give a British flag carrier the right to fly the Hong Kong-Auck-land* route, according to aviation sources in Hong Kong. "Air New Zealand can’t fly to London until the future of this route is decided," said one.

A report in the Englishlanguage “South China Morning Post" said that Cathay Pacific had approached Air New Zealand over the possibility of running a joint service. .

There was no source for the claim, which was made by the newspaper’s usually vvell-informed . transport editor, T. S. koo. No mention was made of a Papua New Guinea involvement.

A Cathay Pacific spokesman. Mr David Bell, has confirmed that some discussions would be held with Air New Zealand. "We are keen to see the link maintained, but nothing has been decided yet,” he said. “There is no commitment from any party."

Mr Bell said there were a number of possible forms in which the service could be run and Cathay could see “some value” in a mid-point stop such as Port Moresby. Cathay Pacific is already involved with Air Niugini in

a successful service linking Port Moresby, Manila and Hong Kong. The twice-a-week service is run by Air Niugini using Boeing 707 aircraft and profits are shared between Air Niugini. Philippine Airlines and Cathay Pacific.

Sources say that Cathay Pacific would appear to be the logical British carrier to be involved on the Auckland route, but do not rule out the possibility of British Airways or British Caledonian, both of which fly the London-Hong Kong route, from being interested. Cathay is said to be "not over-enthusiastic” about the prospects, but can see some possible spin-off in attracting New Zealand business for its own services to London.

The Cathay proposals could result in Air New Zealand’s once-a-week direct service being replaced by one in which Cathay provides the aircraft for a weekly service via Port Moresby in a revenue-sharing, arrangement with Air Niugini and Air New Zealand.

Cathay would have the choice between placing a 747 or lower capacity Lockheed Tri-Star on the route.

Air Niugini. which has only two 707 s to fly on its main international routes. is known to. have been interested in a possible Auckland service for a number of years.