HC Deb 27 May 1982 vol 24 cc355-6W
Mr. Normanton

asked the Minister for Trade whether he will give urgent consideration to facilitating the opening of a scheduled air service between London and St. Kitts to be operated either by British Airways or by British West Indian Airways.

Mr. Sproat

The opening of a direct scheduled air service between London and St. Kitts—which, for air

European Community countries' imports from Argentina in 1980
US$ thousand.
SITC Divisions Bel/Lux Denmark France Germany Ireland Italy Netherlands United Kingdom Greece
00 11 89 71 202 518
01 31,828 66 64,578 156,154 42,450 56,203 117,531 43,984
02 2
03 622 708 10,325 15,052 36 9,372 230 2,279 1930
04 6,792 2,924 6,160 9,975 5 83,208 11,953 787
05 1,947 475 24,991 49,928 130 25,408 47,132 3,008 469
06 276 571 190 8,934 520 6,185 467 1,714
07 69 86 318 21 56 3,153 5,950 31
08 27,834 113,214 62,442 84,258 1,710 42,079 97,468 3,932
09 4 5 1 25 65
11 154 35 399 11 30 381
12 4,237 2 7,178 12,701 108 20 5,236 2,389
21 241 3,383 2,570 12,283 386 232 196
22 12,404 12,186 22,297 156,385 93,694 82,794 21,119
23 14 400 7 27
24 84 53 6 8
25 165 68 187
26 11,225 407 26,054 32,963 182 28,661 1,667 22,549 2,436
27 123 307 2,343 277 186
28 5,007 17 9 1 15,564
29 1,032 34 2,513 12,849 34 11,149 122 2,294
32
33 22,443 4,097 22,712 3,395 70,467
34
35
41 126 7
42 16,160 361 22,839 30,619 456 18,414 22,255 6,299 1,076
43 18 1,875 44 730 7
51 4,798 711 1,641 4,853 2,148 8,463 161
52 15,410 18 3
53 311 65 2,655 1,544 6,016 517 577 887
54 64 77 498 4,792 574 2,761 13 3
55 1,043 773 3 107 1,574
56
57 1
58 1 803 895 206 727 201
59 337 523 96 143 1,217 143 225
61 1,499 1,249 17,821 41,880 1,597 50,776 11,354 12,853 43
62 1 22 2 6 6 1
63 3
64 671 1 1,623 10 60 1,311

services purposes, is British territory—by British Airways is largely a matter for the commercial judgment of the airline. I understand that at present this is not seen as a commercially attractive venture, but that the matter is being kept under review. The operation of such a service by a non-British airline such as British West Indian Airways is, however, a different matter. Apart from the very real objections in principle to allowing a non-British carrier traffic rights between two "British" points—and the international implications of so doing—there is also the commercial consideration that such a service would damage BA's service between London and Antigua. The Government are not prepared, therefore, to grant the necessary traffic rights to BWIA.

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