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The Hong Kong Government today (Monday) signed an air services agreement (ASA) with the Government of Thailand.
The agreement was signed by the Secretary for Economic Services, Mr Stephen Ip, on behalf of the Hong Kong Government, and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, Mr Pitak Intrawityanunt, on behalf of the Government of Thailand.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Mr Ip pointed out that the agreement would provide the necessary legal framework to ensure that Hong Kong's air links with Thailand would continue smoothly beyond June 30, 1997.
Mr Ip noted the strong economic and tourism links between Hong Kong and Thailand and that airlines of two places welcomed the new agreement.
Mr Ip said the Thailand market was important for Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific and Dragonair. He said Cathay Pacific's services to Bangkok started in 1947, less than 12 months after it was first established as an airline in Hong Kong in September 1946.
Echoing Mr Ip's remarks, Mr Intrawityanunt said that the signing of this new agreement underlined the Thai Government's support for the continued expansion of ties between Hong Kong and Thailand.
Cathay Pacific currently operates 35 services per week to Bangkok and Dragonair three services per week to Phuket. Both airlines together carried a total of some 0.9 million passengers in 1996. Thai Airways operates 46 services per week to Hong Kong, carrying some 1.04 million passengers in 1996.
The Hong Kong-Thailand Agreement is the eighteenth ASA signed by Hong Kong. Hong Kong has signed similar agreements with the Netherlands, Switzerland, Canada, Brunei, France, New Zealand, Malaysia, Brazil, Sri Lanka, Australia, Germany, Korea, Singapore, Italy, India, Japan and Myanmar.
Note to Editors:
A photograph of the formal signing of the Hong Kong-Thailand Air Services Agreement will be boxed for collection.
March 24, 1997