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Aviation History
1951
1951 - 1032.PDF
I June 1951 Douglas DC-6 Douglas DC-4 Saab Scandia TYPES IN THE S.A.S. FLEET TODAY Douglas DC-3 Short Sandringham Junkers Ju 52 which were converted for passenger-carrying and used on international flights. Routes were soon under way to 14 different countries and, on August is^;, 1946, the Swedish Intercontinental Airlines—later amalgamated with the A.B.A.—became a partner in S.A.S. By 1947 A.B.A.'s route network, stretching over 37,000 km, was the most extensive in Europe. Eight of the 12 DC-6s which S.A.S. acquired in 1948 were allocated to A.B.A. who, since the end of the war, had re-equipped exclusively with Douglas aircraft. From 1946 nD State aid was considered necessary and, in fact, from 1932 to 1946 operations had been pursued pro- fitably. In 1947, however, the purchase of new aircraft, and a strike, brought about a rather heavy loss; so, in order to strengthen Swedish civil aviation the amalgamation of A.B.A. a ad S.I.L.A., was brought about. After amalgamation the capital of the enterprise was increased to 50,000,000 Swedish crowns, of which the Government owned 50 per cent ?nd S.I.L.A., representing private enterprise, the other hilf. From April 18th, 1948, A.B.A. began to share all Scan- dinavian traffic within Europe with the other partners in S.A.S., while retaining, as did the others, the right to conduct its own internal operations. Norway.—The first Norwegian company, Det Norske Luftfartsrederi (D.N.L.) was established in 1918 and, although the organization flew about 20,000 km, carrying mail, it was liquidated in 1920. The D.N.L. which we know today (Det Norske Luftfartselskap) was not formed until 1927, but still did not begin operations until a considerable amount of capital had been provided—by Norwegian steam- ship interests—in 1935. A ten-year concession was obtained to operate domestic and European schedules and in 1937 a five-year mail contract was signed with the Government. At April 9th, 1940, the company's fleet consisted of three JU52S and one Ju 34W. During World War II the fleet was requisitioned by the Germans and all activities were completely curtailed. It was in London, therefore, that the Plans for the post-war era had to be prepared. A Royal Norwegian Air Transport Board was established, and its proposals were accepted by the Norwegian Government in 1946- D.N.L. officially re-started operations on April 1st of that year, and in 1947 were granted, by royal decree, a 20-year concession for all domestic and international routes to and from Norway. The company's share capital at this stage was 25,250,000 Norwegian crowns, of which almost 20 per cent was subscribed by the Government. The com- pany was controlled by an honorary board under the chair- manship of the Governor of Oslo, until, in 1948, the management was changed and the noted Arctic explorer Major General Hjalmar Riiser-Larsen became president. The company's fleet at the beginning of January, 1950, consisted of ten DC-3S, three Sandringham Mark VI flying-boats, four Ju 52s, two DC-4S and two DC-6s. The main operational and technical base was located at Fornebu airport, near Oslo, and an extensive network of services was operated throughout Norway, in addition to the international traffic. This, then, is the background of the three companies which represent, each in its own country, by far the greatest proportion of Scandinavia's civil aviation activity. As has already been mentioned, it was a quick realization of the fact that growing competition could only be met by the united effort which brought about early negotiations for a co-opera- tive system. The initiative was taken, with A.B.A.'s consent, by Svensk Interkontinental Lufttrafik (S.I.L.A.) who, after 1945, pushed ahead vigorously the negotiations with Den- mark and Norway. Although the principle of co-operation was acceptable, however, its application presented more difficulty. During the war Denmark and Norway had not had Sweden's opportunities for building up an organization or for training personnel. The three parties, therefore, were not equally prepared; yet, although it might have been easier for the Swedes than for the Danes or Norwegians to enter the international field alone, it was quite clear that each had much more to gain from a combined effort. So loyal were the three companies to the idea of co-operation that plans for joint traffic went ahead as though complete agreement had been reached on all points—even when, in 1945-46, it often appeared that nothing would ever be settled. One difficulty was to establish the form which the agree- ment was to take. A corporation would have to be registered with one particular nation and was, therefore, inadmissible. The enterprise had to be common to all and not bound to any one of the three countries. The answer was found in the formation of a consortium in which the three companies D.D.L., D.N.L. and S.I.L.A. participated in the proportions of Sweden three-sevenths and Norway and Denmark two-sevenths each. Revenue and expenses from the services
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