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SPConf.19/WP.24 13 September 1979

02802 ORIGINAL : ENGLISH SOUTH PACIFIC COMMISSION

NINETEENTH SOUTH PACIFIC CONFERENCE (Papeete, French Polynesia, 6-12 October 1979)

REGIONALISM : FLEXIBILITY IN IMMIGRATION, HEALTH, COMMUNICATION AND TRANSPORT POLICIES TO ENABLE MORE FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE, GOODS AND IDEAS WITHIN THE SOUTH PACIFIC COMMISSION REGION

Background 1. The Eighteenth South Pacific Conference:

"Requesting that governments operating or regulating commercial air services to and through the Pacific resolve their differences and take such other actions which will result in providing Pacific Island nations and territories with adequate and reliable air services;

Whereas the quality and quantity of commercial air service to and through the Pacific - particularly the South Pacific - has long been a problem for people of the area in that fares have been high, flights infrequent, and flight times determined by larger markets at either end of the route; and

Whereas the Island nations and territories of the Pacific have invested substantial sums in the development of tourist destination areas as part of their planned economic growth programmes; and

Whereas for these Island countries reliable and frequent air service is also absolutely essential in order to attract private investment capital needed to expand job opportunities for the people; and

Whereas the Ninth South Pacific Forum in Niue in September 1978 endorsed the recommendation of the South Pacific Civil Aviation Council Meeting of June 1978 that there be established a Regional Airlines Association; and

Whereas Fiji, American and Western Samoa (hereinafter called Samoa) are currently prime examples of Island states which are now suffering severe air service deficiencies between Fiji, Samoa and Hawaii, the U.S. mainland, and Australia respectively, since Pago Pago Interna- tional Airport is only serviced twice a week by from Hawaii and once a week by Air New Zealand from Auckland, and since flight frequencies through Nadi airport are decreasing rather than increasing; and

Whereas while representations from Fiji and Samoa have been made to the metropolitan governments concerned, adequate service has still been withheld, and in addition, the prospective new United States carrier (Continental) has been granted two delays in commencing ser- vice and is applying for a further delay to 1 May, 1979 despite the fact that such a delay would mean that service would begin some two years after the route award (C.A.B. Order 77-7-89); and

1158/79 / SPConf.19/Page 2

Whereas the personal inconvenience to the people of the region while bad enough, does not compare with the deleterious effect on the economy; e.g. the only hotel in American Samoa has been operating at about 45 per cent occupancy between April and September of this year and since the two flights a week schedule went into effect, visitor traffic in and out of Pago Pago has been cut in half;

Resolved that the metropolitan governments which operate their own trunk carriers or regulate private carriers be and they are hereby respectfully requested to resolve at the earliest possible time the issues involved in the provision of air services in the region, keeping in mind the very considerable interests of the Island states and territories of the Pacific in obtaining reliable and adequate conmercial air service. The Conference further resolved that certified copies of this resolution be transmitted to the President and Secre- tary of the United States; the Prime Ministers and the Transport Ministers of Australia, New Zealand and Japan; the Chairmen and mem- bers of the United States Civil Aeronautics Board and Japan Civil Aeronautics Board; the Chief Executives of all major air carriers operating in the Pacific; International Air Transport Association; Pacific Area Travel Association; and Pacific Islands Tourism Develop- ment Council."

(cf. para. 21 of the Report of the Eighteenth South Pacific Conference, Noumea, New Caledonia, 7-12 October 1978).

Action 2. Copies of this resolution were sent subsequently to the fol- lowing:

The Alternate Representative for Australia on the South Pacific Com- mission, The Australian Consul, Australian Consulate, Noumea. The Director, Bureau of International Aviation, Civil Aeronautics Board, D.C. 20428, U.S.A. The Director, Civil Aviation Bureau, Ministry of Transport, 1-3, 2-chome Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan. The Chairman, Civil Aeronautics Board, Government Offices, Washing- ton D.C. 20428, U.S.A. His Excellency the Ambassador for Japan, Embassy of Japan, 112 Empire Circuit, Yarralumla A.C.T. 2600, Australia. The Representative for the United States on the South Pacific Com- m ission. United States Ambassador, American Embassy, P.O. Box 218, Suva, Fiji. Ure Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Private Bag, Wellington, New Zealand. The Chief Executive, Air New Zealand, Private Bag, Auckland, New Zealand. The Chairman, QANTAS Airways Ltd., G.P.O. Box 489, Sydney, N.S.W. 2001, Australia. SPConf.19/Page

The Chief Executive, Pan American World Airways, Panam Building, i 100 East 42nd St., New York, N.Y., U.S.A. The Chief Executive, Continental Airlines Inc., Los Angeles Inter- 1 national Airport, Los Angeles, California, 90009, U.S.A. The Chief Executive, Japan Air Lines Co. Ltd. Tokyo, Building 3-2, 2-Chome, Marunouchi, Chiyod-ku, Japan. The Director-General, International Air Transport Association, P.O. Box 160, Ch. 1216 Cointrin, Geneva, Switzerland. The President, Pacific Area Travel Association, 228 Grant Avenue, San Francisco, California, 94108, U.S.A. The Chief Executive, Pacific Islands Tourism Development Council, P.O. Box 2359, , Hawaii, 96804. U.S.A.

3. For the information of the Conference, attached are copies of replies received. SPConf.19/WP.24 Attachment mM t | CIVIL AERONAUTICS BOARD WASHINGTON OC 20428 ^w^.MtltHio B-56d

December 21, 1978

Mr. E. Macu Salato Secretary General South Pacific Commission Post Box D.5 Noumea Cedex New Caledonia Your reference: PRO 91/1 Dear Mr. Salato: I am happy to be able to respond to your letter xsf December 6 by telling you of our success In negotiations with Australia and New Zealand, and the probability that Continental Airlines will begin South Pacific service in May, 1978. Our agreement of December 14 with the Government of Australia will enable Continental to begin service between Los Angeles and Sydney via Honolulu, American Samoa and Fiji, and allow new low scheduled fares between the United States and Australia. Recent consultations with the Government of New Zealand resulted 1n the issuance of an operating permit to Continental for service between Los Angeles and Auckland via Honolulu and American Samoa. We expect that Continental's new South Pacific service will improve substan- tially service at American Samoa and Fiji, and promote tourism through the South Pacific area. The Board also invited other U.S. carriers to apply for authority (under exemption) to serve American Samoa. , Aeroamerica and South Pacific filed applications for this authority which have not been acted on yet by the Board. Thank you for sending me a copy of the Conference resolution pertaining to air transportation. Sincerely,

Donald A. Farmer, Jr. Director Bureau of International Aviation SPConf.19/WP.24 Atcachaent 2 1HB 116/6/5

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

WELLINGTON

13 February 1979

Dear Dr Salato,

In accordance with the resolution passed on Agenda Item 13 of the Eighteenth South Pacific Conference and the request in your letter of 6 December 1978 that this resolution be brought to the attention of the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, copies of the resolution have duly been conveyed to our Ministers.

Yours sincerely,

j'Jt*/ Secretary of Foreign Affairs

The Secretary-General, South Pacific Comnission, Post Box D5, Noumea, NEW CALEDONIA. SPConf.19/WP.2 Attachment QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED t CHAIRMAN QANTAS HOUSE 70 HUNTER STREET SYDNEY. NSW 2000 PHONE 230 06S9

26th January, 1979

Mr. W.T. Brown Acting General Secretary South Pacific Commission Post Box D.5 NOUMEA CEDEX NEW CALEDONIA

Dear Mr. Brown,

The total number of passengers carried by Qantas to Fij^ again increased in 1978 - dramatically - and I thought you would be interested in a recapitulation:-

Year ending Passenger December Numbers

1969 14046 1970 17170 1971 20927 1972 23835 1973 29039 1974 39637 1975 41111 1976 47763 1977 45492 1978 54543

The reduction in the 1977 passenger numbers reflated our vacating the Brisbane/Nadi route from April 1977, in favour of its sole operation by Air Pacific.

Yours sincerely,

(C.L. Hewitt) SPConf.J9/WP.24 Attachment4 QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED

..MAIRMAN OANTAS HOUSE 70 HUNTER STREET SYDNEY. NSW 2000 PHONE 230 0899 22nd January 1979

The Editor The Fiji Times FIJI

Dear Sir,

In my letter which you were kind enough to publish on August 11th last, I sought to place on record the number of passengers carried by Qantas from Australia to Fiji. Debate at the 1978 Fiji Tourism Convention had seemed to me to lack this information.

Now that figures are available for the whole of 1978 I would again appreciate your permitting me to place this information before your readers:

Year ending Passenger December , Numbers

1969 14046 1970 17170 1971 20927 1972 23835 1973 29039 1974 39637 1975 41111 1976 47763 1977 45492 1978 54 543

The reduction in the 1977 passenger numbers reflected our vacating the Brisbane/Nadi route from April 1977, in favour of its sole operation by Air Pacific.

I think you will agree that these figures of Qantas carriage speak for themselves and require no elaboration.

Yours faithfully, ' / fC /^W/ (C. L. HEWITT) Chairman SPConf.19/WP.24 Attachment QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED

_.„,.,_N OANTAS HOUSE 70 HUNTER STREET SVDNEY NSW 200C PHONE 230 0699

29th December 1978

Mr. E. Macu Salato Secretary General South Pacific Commission P.O. Box D 5 NOUMEA CEDEX New Caledonia

Dear Mr. Salato,

Thank you for your letter of 6th December 1978 enclosing the Report of the 18th South Pacific Conference which was held in Noumea last October and drawing attention to the Resolution relating to Agenda Item 13.

I am delighted to say that Qantas has considerably improved the services between Australia and Nadi.

Prior to February 1978 the average weekly capacity totalled 814 seats dedicated to the Fiji market and any available seats on longhaul Australia/ U.S.A. flights transiting Nadi. Since February 1978 however, Qantas has regularly operated 1368 seats each week on conveniently scheduled daylight services dedicated to the Fiji market.

Our record since 1969 in the carriage of passengers from Austalia to Fiji is:-

Year Ending Passenger December Numbers 1969 14046 1970 17170 1971 20927 1972 23835 1973 29039 1974 39637 1975 41111 1976 47763 1977 45492

In the first eleven months of 1978 Qantas carried 48,173 passengers from Australia to Fiji compared with 38,303 in the same period of 1977, an increase of 26 percent. -2-

The reduction in the 1977 passenger numbers reflected our vacating the Brisbane/Nadi route from April 1977, in favour of its sole operation by Air Pacific.

I think you will agree that Qantas has already met the terms of the Resolution and provides "reliable and adequate commercial air service between Australia and Fiji".

Yours sincerely,

(C.L. HEWITT) Chairman Mft?/ JtS^lS) SPConf.J9/WP.24 Hr ^ Attachment 6 i EA V»Jfc PACIFIC AREA TRAVEL ASSOCIATION

228 Grant Avenue, San Francisco, California 94108 • Telephone: (415) 986-4646 • Cable: PATA

December 19, 1978

Mr. E. Macu Salato Secretary-General South Pacific Conmission Post Box D. 5 Noumea Cedex New Caledonia RE: PRO 91/1 Dear Mr. Secretary-General: This will acknowledge with thanks, receipt of your letter of 6 December, enclosing a copy of the actions taken by the Eighteenth South Pacific Conference in Noumea, New Caledonia from 7 to 13, October, 1978. We have taken note of the resolution adopted as agenda item 13 on pages 22 to 24 of the report and will call this to the attention of our Board of Directors and our Active Carrier Members, many of whom have already received the resolution. Please be assured of PATA's continued interest in the work of the South Pacific Commission, and of course, of my personal interest since I attended a number of your Annual Conferences while serving as High Commissioner of the Trust Territory. My very best personal regards and best wishes to you and your staff for a very Merry Christmas and continued success and progress in 1979. Sme€0iy yqtflrs, A ..

Emard E. /John Executive( Victj/ President EEJ:vk SPConf.19/WP.24 - Attachment 7

International Air Transport Association

OFFICE OF THE OIRECTOR GENERAL •QWMtt / GENEVA KNUT HAMMABSUKXD 14th December 1978

Mr. E. Macu Salato Secretary-General South Pacific Commission Post Box D.5 Noumea Cedex New Caledonia

Dear Secretary-General,

I acknowledge With thanks your letter, ref: PRO 91/1, of 6 December 1978, enclosing copies of the Report of the Eighteenth South Pacific Conference held in Noumea, 7-13 October 1978.

The document will be studied with interest by our experts.

Yours sincerely,

Knut Hammarskjold

MONTREAL (Head Office) - 1000 SherDrooke Street Weal GENEVA • 20. Chemin de Joinviiie P.O.Box 390, Piae* Aviation international* •.P. 160, 1210 Colntrln.Oeneva, Swltzartand Montreal, P.Q., Canada H3A2*« Tataphone (022) OS 39 66 Tai. (514) B««-6»ii Cabiaa I ATA Montreal Tele* 9267087 Cable*: IATA Qeneve Taiex 29 391