DC-10 AIRCRAFT (Hansard, 24 March 1975)

§ Lord WINTERBOTTOM

I understand that British Airways do not hold an Air Operators Certificate in respect of DC-10 aircraft and that the safety regulations governing the proposed flights between Los Angeles and London will be those of New Zealand, the State of Registry of the aircraft. I have been informed that as a result of an agreement between the Civil Aviation Authority, the New Zealand authorities and the operators, a number of changes needed in order to achieve the level of United Kingdom airworthiness requirements are being incorporated in the aircraft and that where British Airways operational standards differ from those of Air New Zealand the higher of the two will be applied. The Civil Aviation Authority's Fight Operations Inspectorate will inspect the operations in the same way in which they do other British Airways operations. The Civil Aviation Authority has licensed British Airways to operate wide bodied aircraft on this route but because the aircraft axe not registered in the United Kingdom the uplift or discharge of passengers or cargo in the United Kingdom will be subject to the permission of the Secretary of State under Article 79 of the Air Navigation Order 1974. British Airways have informed me that at present they employ 20 pilots who are qualified on DC-10 aircraft and that a further 10 are being trained.