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Aviation History
1938
1938 - 1247.PDF
AIRCRAFT ENGINEERAND AIRSHIPS FlRST AERONAVTICATWEEKLY IN TWTIVORLD : FOUNDED 1909 Editor :: 'C. M. POULSEN Managing Editor G. GEOFFREY SMITH Chief Photographer JOHN YOXALL Editorial, Advertising and Publishing Offices : DORSET HOUSE, STAMFORD STREET, LONDON, S.E.1 Telegrams : Trudrtur, Sedirt, London. Telephone : Waterloo 3333 (50 lines). HERTFORD ST.,COVKNTKY. Telegrams : Autocar, Coventry. Telephone: Coventry 5210. GUILDHALL BUILDINGS, NAVIGATION ST., BIRMINGHAM, 2. Telegrams: Autopress, Birmingham.Telephone: Midland 2971. : ^1 .^. i 2IW. DEANSGATE, MANCHESTER, 3. Telegrams: Iliffe, Manchester. Telephone: Blackfriars 4412. 20B, REN FIELD ST., GLASGOW, C.2. Telegrams : Iliffe, Glasgow. Telephone: Central 4857. SUBSCRIPTIONRATES: Home and Canada: Other Countries: Year, £1Year, £1 13 0.1U 0. 6 months, lfi«. 6d.C months, 18s. CM. 3 months, 8«. fid.3 monthn, Ua. Oil No. 1532. Vol. XXXIII. MAY 5, 1938. Thursdays, Price 6d. The Outlook. Revolt -:-.:,-: yt LTHOUGH the recent statement by the Provost of /A Renfrew that Glasgow's Airport would be closed •*• -^ was itself (until the partial recantation) serious enough, far more serious is the definite discontent and the criticism of Air Ministry methods of which this was merely a single publicly voiced sign. At least two other municipali ties have been seriously considering the closing of their aerodromes. Apparently the Renfrew Town Council had reason enough ior complaining of discourtesy and procrastination, but it is hard to believe that this matter of traffic control arrange- ments was the real reason for such a sudden move. It seems to be more likely to be that this Town Council in particular, as well as many others in the country, was and is desperately disappointed with the Cadman Committee recommendations and the Government's rejoinder thereto on the matter of airport assistance. The Councils feel, not unnaturally, that the provision of aerodromes is a national service and that the Government should do rather more to help them than by the mere provision of traffic control and operational facilities. Unfortunately, the Renfrew affair seems to be mixed up with a very much bigger issue and the general opinion in air transport circles is that some form of explosion is about to occur. Be that as it may, Glasgow cannot be allowed to lose its terminal. If things continue as they are at present we shall, in due course, have only one internal airline—operated by K.L.M. —and half a dozen public aerodromes run by really daunt- less enthusiasts. . • ":_•_ iv 3i ; The European ServicesT HERE appears to be some misunderstanding in Air Ministry circles about the actual recommendations of the Cadman Committee and particularly about those in relation to the. European services. Since the publication of the Committee's report it seems to have been s'fneraJly considered that two companies, and only two companies, would be eligible for financial assistance on European routes and that British Airways in particular would be the appointed company to operate the greater number of them. In fact, the Cadman Committee merely considered '' that national prestige and the interests of British civil aviation require that first-class air services, financially assisted by the State as necessary, should be • established between London and all the principal capitals of Europe." There was nothing in the Report to suggest that there should necessarily be only two operating companies receiving a subsidy. All that was said was that external air services '' must be concentrated in a small number of well-founded and substantial organisations rather than dissipated among a large number of competing companies of indifferent stability." The matter has been brought into prominence in the first place by the question asked by the Marquis of Clydes- dale in the House on March 28 concerning the eligibility of Allied Airways for a subsidy for their Norwegian Service, and by the recent requests which have been made by Alp Air Line, a subsidiary of North Eastern Airways, for a share of the available subsidy for the purpose of operating a service to Switzerland. In the first case, Lt.-Col. Muir- head made it clear that the whole question of European services was being reconsidered, but would give no assurance to the questioner. Probably the Air Ministry has very good reasons for its non-committal attitude in such cases, but, if so, the reasons should be stated, and it is obviously poor logic to point to the Cadman Committee recommendations, which most certainly did not suggest that no companies other than Im- perial Airways and British Airways should be eligible for assistance. The Real IssueS O far as the general travelling public is concerned, their interest is not with the rights and wrongs of such matters, but with the organisation of transport companies so that the best possible services shall be run by British operators throughout Europe and elsewhere. Whether or not British Airways will, in fact, take over the entire European system when Imperial Airways' contract expires next year remains to be seen, but it is at least obvious that neither of the companies is at present capable of doing justice single-handed to a European service net- work. Imperial Airways are busy with the Empire and other services outside Europe, and British Airways have
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