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Aviation History
1945
1945 - 2235.PDF
FLIGHT NOVEMBER 8TH, 1945 CIVIL AVIATION Air Transport to be State-controlled Qovernment Policy Outlined : Three or More Public Corporations to Operate All Services i Charter and Private Flying to be "Free" AFTER careful consideration the Government has /-\ decided that public ownership shall be the over- •*• -^ ruling principle in air transport and that there should be no further financial participation in it by surface trans- port interests. At least two new corporations, in addition to B.O.A.C, will be established for the operation of internal and European services, in one case, and of services to South America in the other. B.O.A.C. will continue to operate the Commonwealth, North Atlantic and Far Eastern services, and will handle the others until such a time as the new corporations have been formed. Charter flying will be open to private operators, and there will be no restrictions on private flying or gliding after January 1st, 1946. These, briefly, were the points made by Lord Winster, the Minister of Civil Aviation, when lie made his promised statement on Government civil aviation policy in the House of Lords on November 1st. He wished to make it clear that the decision to nation- alise air transport had been reached in no spirit of oppo- sition to other interests. The policy would be developed with the intention of closest co-operation with land and sea transport systems and consultations with the interests concerned would start forthwith. These consultations would need to be concluded before the promised White Paper could be issued. Since the arguments against a single monopoly corpora- tion were overwhelming, the Government had decided to ensure through rivalry rather than competition that several possible approaches to the various problems in air trans- port should be tried. He intended, therefore, to establish, in addition to B.O.A.C., two new corporations, as outlined above, and it might even be that further corporations or subsidiaries would be established if these were found to be desirable. All'such corporations and subsidiaries would be financed wholly out of public funds, the boards being appointed by the Government to conform with their general policy. Normally, however, he would not interfere with the day-to-day work of administration. B.O.A.C. to Garry On These proposals would require necessary legislation, and until this had been put through B.O.A.C., under the direc- tions issued on October 6th last year, would continue to be responsible for all external services, and would be asked to start, as soon as possible, European and South American services and to operate these until the corporations had been formed. Since a complicated legal procedure was involved as far as internal services were concerned, these would for the time being be run by the existing operators. Private firms would still be permitted to operate charter and taxi services, but the corporations would also be empowered to do so. Apart from those concerned with safety regulations, there would be no restriction on private and club flying, or on gliding, and the ban concerned would be removed as from January 1st, 1946. A joint announcement would shortly be made giving details of this. The cost of necessary airport provision had risen enor- mously in recent years, and airports must therefore be pro- vided on a planned basis. For this reason all transport airports would be acquired by the Ministry of Civil Avia- tion and would be publicly owned, though other airfields would remain free. The Ministry would be responsible for all radio, meteorological and flying control services. In the matter of compensation, Lord Winster said that fair payment would certainly be made for any physical assets taken over, and, pending the necessary legislation, any operator would, for the time being, be legally free to run services without permits and at his own risk. , Depending on traffic demands, plans had been made fo As- certain international services to be operated from and to ' Prestwick, thus ensuring that Scotland would be able to play a full part in civil aviation. Arrangements were being made for the Ministry of Civil Aviation to have the same facilities at the Ministry of Supply as those given to the R.A.F. and Fleet Air Arm. The Brabazon Committee would remain in existence. Orderly Development Lord Winster reaffirmed that the Government stood foi orderly development in world civil aviation, and any inter- national arrangements made would be as co-operative as possible where other interests were concerned. The Govern- ment had, in fact, the work of developing an important new form of transport, and he did not wish to see the evil results of speculation and greed, such as were seen in the 'early development of railways and shipping. He wanted the pilots to feel that they were engaged in a service to the community which might eventually become a service to the world. For the Opposition, Lord Swinton deplored the " throw- ing of the issue into the political cockpit'' and defied the Minister to point to anything in the previous Government's scheme which would have led to '' scrambling competi- tion." No argument, other than the need for State owner- ship, has been given to explain why the previous plan should have been changed, and he saw no reason why the railways, shipping companies, and travel agencies should be discouraged from contributing to civil aviation their j knowledge of the transport business. How could the sup- ^^«— posed co-ordination come about if these interests were to have no say in the matter? Would control of the corporations lie with the Minister of Civil Aviation or with the directors? If the former, then the boards would automatically become civil servants. The essence of the old plan was that of independent man- agement. What chance was there for the encouragement of new blood in a sealed-pattern scheme? There had already been sufficient delay, yet the new scheme involved further indefinite delay and Lord Swinton thought that this was a sorry day for the future of civil aviation. Lord Rennell complained that the new policy formed a break in the continuity of that for civil aviation. The State-owned corporations would need to negotiate with private companies in the United States. He did not see how there could be healthy rivalry between what were vir- tually "three parts of the Government." Was it intended that the State-owned airlines should compete with, and at the expense of, surface transport companies? In the House of Commons on the same day Mr. Ivor Thomas, Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, also gave an outline of the Government's policy. The debate in the House of Lords was continued last Tuesday.
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