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Aviation History
1943
1943 - 1110.PDF
45O FLIGHT APRIL 29TH, 1943 should be emphasised, namely, the vital necessity of* con- sidering this matter of international communication, or rather transport, not as separate issues, one air, another shipping, and a third rail and/or road, but all as one com- posite subject. If necessity demands that all be co-ordin- ated in wartime there is an even stronger case for con- tinuing so in peacetime. However, if air transport is treated as a separate issue and the planning for the future is left to those who fail to see the merits of the other means of transport, then we are heading for chaos, which will lead to political differences and complications such as we saw by 1939. To satisfy the social and economic requirements of post- war Europe it might be found that the number of modern transport aircraft required in this restricted field will be considerably smaller than is generally expected. When even the world requirements may well be satisfied by using only a fraction of the existing combined building capacity of the U.S.A., the British Empire and Russia, then it would appear that the promised better world depends upon whole- hearted collaboration. Now is the golden opportunity for the Governments of the United Nations to establish new rulcn for international carriage by air. The I.A.T.A. regulations, as well as the "Carriage by Air Act, 1932," require to be overhauled. Amongst other items consideration must be given to the fixing and publication of schedules of rates of carriage, the regulation of private charter, restrictions on the running of privately owned aircraft, etc. So far as Europe is concerned, when, in consultation with the surface services, the approximate requirements for air services are fixed, it may be found that there is room only for one licensed company in each country to run the required services to and from the other European coun- tries. To secure for the various participating nations a just and reasonable revenue, pooling, through inter- national clearing, might be the best means of procedure, taking into consideration the fact that large countries have larger commitments, Certainly air transport will play a vital role indeed in the future. All the more is it our duty to build up in a sure way and on sound lines, so that our promises and, obliga- tions to the men of the air can be carried out, not only for the first few years after the war. In Parliament New B*O.A* "Part-time" Board Criticised : Co-operation with, America R. GRANV1LLE (Eye) : I desire to raise the question ofcivil aviation, with special reference to the recomposition of the board of British Overseas Airways Corporation and alsothe designing of protot5'pes for post-war air liners. British Overseas Airways Corporation was set up before the war, underthe chairmanship of Sir John Reith, on the principle that if you roll everything together you will get something approach-ing a white elephant. Before this Corporation was formed we had in civil aviationin this country Imperial Airways, British Airways and a num- ber of independent companies. Imperial Airways wereresponsible for the overseas sea routes, the Empire routes, which were flown mostly with Empire flying-boats. They werealso responsible for the North Atlantic route. British Airways were responsible for the land-based routes in Europe, andtowards the end of their time they were allotted the South Atlantic route. Then all these companies were lumped togetheras British Overseas Airways Corporation. I opposed the formation of that monopoly. I believe weshould have a certain amount of enterprise in civil aviation, not only some competition between routes but some competi-tion and enterprise between land-based aircraft and flying teats. What civil aviation has suffered from in recent yearsis the fact that they have had people pushed on to them who know nothing whatever about civil aviation. Accountants,lawyers, bankers, B.B.C. officials—all have sent their quota to be responsible for the supreme direction of one of the greattransport services in the British Empire. New Board '! Depressing '' Now the right hon. Gentleman the Secretary of State forAir has announced a new board with a certain number of what I would call part-time business men on it. I am bound to saythe reception which has been given to this announcement, as was referred to by my hon. Friend the Member for Duddeston(Mr. Simmonds) in a question which he asked the right hon. Gentleman to-day, is a very disturbing one, and it has had adepressing effect not only upon civil aviation and the aircraft industry but upon the public generally, who have themselvestaken a tremendous interest in the future of civil aviation after the war. None of us has anything against Mr. Simon Marks or Mr.Marchbanks or the Chairman. They are eminent men with honourable careers behind them, but this is not a chain storeor a railway or an ordinary business. The wcrk of this Cor- poration is to plan and organise the airways system of theBritish Empire, and I submit that that requires a knowledge of aircraft, of flying boats, of airports, of radio and of flying,and I do not believe that some of these directors are even what is called "air-minded." I have tried to intervene in civil aviation Debates in thisHouse for some time because I hold strong views on the future of air transport. We are the greatest oceanic Commonwealthin history, and I believe we shall have to be an air Common- wealth after this war. I hold the view that this question mustbe seen with an imagination which envisages services every clay to India. Australia, Canada and Africa, to reach theseplaces in two days, using perhaps some place like Hyde Park as a centxal European teiminus. And, of course, these serviceswould have to be flown back from overseas and Dominion air- ports. We have an aircraft industry to-day which the Ministerof Aircraft Production has told us is now the largest industry in the country. Switch-over to Civil Types Whatever plans for^ industrial demobilisation the Govern-ment may have, the switch over in this industry will depend very largely on the plans which the Government make to designand produce aircraft for civil aviation. We may have to feed Europe immediately after the war by means of"relief aircraft.We may have a situation in which shipping, for some of the lighter freights, will be superseded by air freighters. In addition to that, there will be thousands of young men,*the heroes of the Royal Air Force, wanting to make a career in the skies. In my view, in civil aviation will be found theindustry, the career and the transport of the future. Unless we plan the future air transport from these Islands on the basisof a great air commonwealth, I am bound to say from my experience that we shall be relegated to the position of a secoad-class civil air Power. I want to make a suggestion to the right hon. Gentleman.I had something to do with civil aviation through British Air- ways. I believe this thing is bigger than a company with aboard of directors in this country. 1 believe there are men in the Empire—I wish I had more time to develop this subject—in places like Australia and Canada and South Africa who have experience and knowledge of civil flying. Unfortunately,some of them have turned a good deal to America. Why not call together a board of these men and constitutea Commonwealth Air Board now, representative of the British Commonwealth of Nations ? Set up this board now, and forcommittee meetings let them meet in an aircraft and not in any circumstances in a Government Department. GovernmentDepartments and Committees have been "gremlins" of the, development of civil aviation. The right hon. Gentleman has referred to this question asinternational dynamite. I agree that if you leave this matter to unbridled competition is has all the potentialities of inter-national dynamite, but why leave it to competition? Why not start now discussions among the United Nations on methodsand ideas of co-operation ? Before the war we were using American Lockheed 14's for many of our European services.It is true that America is a long way ahead of this country in the development of civil aviation. I am told that the major
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