§ 44. Mr. Rankinasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation under what circumstances he permits passengers to disembark from an aircraft when it touches down at an airport other than its scheduled destination.
§ Mr. HayProvided a foreign aircraft enjoys traffic rights in the United Kingdom on the service in question, passengers are allowed to disembark at any point to which the aircraft is diverted. Foreign aircraft without traffic rights in the United Kingdom are allowed to disembark passengers where the aircraft is unable to proceed with its journey, or where exceptional hardship would otherwise be caused to the passengers.
§ Mr. RankinYes, Sir, but could the hon. Gentleman say something about our own aircraft, those belonging to B.O.A.C.? Is he aware that on a recent flight across the North Atlantic the chairman and secretary of the Scottish Council of Development and Industry were unable to land at Prestwick as it was not the scheduled destination but had to travel on to London and then go back to Glasgow by train? Why was that so?
§ Mr. HayIt was because the gentlemen concerned chose to travel by the Canadian Pacific Airways flight Vancouver-Amsterdam, which does not provide for anything other than a technical stop at Prestwick. Normally, it goes straight through, and since that line does not enjoy the right to set down and pick up passengers in the United Kingdom on that route it was natural that the passengers should have expected to go on to Amsterdam and return to London—in fact, many people do that.