§ Mr. Wilkinsonasked the Minister of State for Defence what are the regulations which govern the use by British military aircraft of the air corridors to Berlin, and why Her Majesty's Government in August refused permission for the Royal Air Force's aerobatic team of unarmed Gnat jet trainers, the "Red Arrows", to perform in a public air display in the city.
§ Mr. KershawThe United Kingdom, together with France and the United States, has unrestricted rights of air access to Berlin via the three air corridors—Berlin-Hamburg, Berlin-Buckeburg and Berlin-Frankfurt-am-Main—that were established by four-Power agreement at the end of the Second World War. We also have flying rights within the Berlin air zone. Within the zone and corridors, flying is regulated, in the interests of air safety, by the quadripartite Berlin Air Safety Centre according to a set of rules which were also established with four-Power agreement.
There has been no proposal this year for a display by the "Red Arrows" over Berlin and no question therefore of permission having been withheld.