§ 2.37 p.m.
Viscount GOSCHENMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government when British Airways will start their Concorde services to Australia.
Lord ORAMMy Lords, the start of the British Airways service to Melbourne depends on a number of factors and I would rather not speculate now about the precise date.
Viscount GOSCHENMy Lords, I thank the noble Lord for that somewhat unsatisfactory reply. Can he tell me whether the over flying, landing and take-off rights in the various countries concerned en route have now been satisfactorily agreed?
Lord ORAMNo, my Lords; we need new corridors and they are being negotiated. In particular, I should mention the Gulf area and Indonesia.
§ Lord ORR-EWINGMy Lords, does that reply mean that we have made some progress over clearing the supersonic overflying rights on the Pacific routes over India?
§ Lord THOMASMy Lords, is the noble Lord aware that there is a considerable shortage of Concorde pilots, due to the fact that certain Concorde instructors are at variance with British Airways as to whether they should be allowed cars to travel to the places of instruction free of charge?
Lord ORAMMy Lords, there is such a dispute going on, although I would not say that it is a major factor. However, the relationships with the staff represent part of the delay in training pilots, and the insufficient number of trained pilots is one of the factors to which I referred.
Earl FERRERSMy Lords, can the noble Lord confirm that, if these landing rights and overflying rights are agreed, the service would be able to operate forthwith?
Lord ORAMNot forthwith, my Lords; the opening of the route to Australia is linked with the question of the route being opened to New York, about which a decision is hoped for fairly soon.