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Aviation History
1952
1952 - 0049.PDF
4 January 1952 17 recommended, comprising 80 ordinary scheduled services and 16 inclusive tours, nearly all of which were for periods of one year only. The balance were rejected on similar grounds to those of 1949. On this occasion two routes to the Channel Islands, previously operated by independent operators, were opposed on the grounds that the Corporation intended to take over the routes. The objection was sustained. The Minister failed to agree with the Council's decision on four occasions; three concerned international routes and the other a service between Liverpool and the Channel Islands. During 1950 the operators voiced dissatisfaction over the period of operation granted them by their agreements. It was argued that, as most of their equipment was ageing, they should know where they stood concerning their routes, in order that they might plan for the introduction of new aircraft if necessary. One company claimed to have lost its chief money-making route, and had found itself with a large outlay for new aircraft on its hands and with little chance of redeeming it with the route still available. This occur rence, no doubt, had a sobering effect on the others; but it stimulated the British Air Charter Association to make representations to the Minister asking for the granting of traffic rights for longer periods, and B.E.A. suggested that five years might be acceptable to the Minister. When Lord Pakenham had consulted B.E.A. it was decided that Associate Agreements could be made for this length of time, and eventually a statement was made in Parliament to this effect. The Minister then altered his directive to the Air Transport Advisory Council to allow for this extension, and when the Council invited the companies to submit their applications for the 1951 period some 151 requests were received. Before leaving the subject of the Air Transport Advisory Council, I think it is only fair to comment that the body has retained its independence and, whilst giving full and un biased consideration to all applications and representations made to it, has not hesitated to make recommendations which in its opinion are to the public benefit, even if these recom mendations clash with the feelings of the Corporation and other interested bodies. It is also interesting to assess the Council's work in the fight of the similar duties undertaken by America's C.A.B.: one notes that in many respects the small operator in the United Kingdom is in a relatively better position than his American counterpart, who is discouraged from operating any scheduled services in competition with the major privately owned U.S. carriers; the latter frequently engage in long legal arguments before the C.A.B. when decisions have to be made as who shall operate such and such a route. B.E.A. and the Five-year Plan When the Minister had decided that Associate Agreements could be extended to cover a five-year period, the Corpora tion carefully studied its own position over that period and had decided just how much further expansion was possible with its existing fleet, and with any further planned replace ments, until the day the large helicopter made further development possible. With this picture clearly in mind, Lord Douglas, chairman of B.E.A., decided to invite the independent operators to meet him in order that he might hear their proposals and be able to advise them whether or not the Corporation would raise any objections to their pro posed operations. Three such meetings were in fact held and, as a result, most of the operators knew where they stood; in fact some of them were able to persuade the Corporation to modify its views. Later B.E.A. invited certain companies to apply for Associate Agreements to operate in parallel with the Corporation's London-Southampton-Channel Islands routes during the peak Saturdays of the season. Morton Air Services, Ltd., and Olley Air Service, Ltd., were successful applicants for the flights out of London, and Aquila Airways, Ltd., and Airlines (Jersey), Ltd., shared the route from Southampton. The Independent Network.—To study the network of ser vices provided by the independent operators, we may divide the country into five areas—Scotland, the Isle of Man, and North, West and Southern England. From Scotland, Scottish Aviation, Ltd., operate services from their base at Prestwick to the Isle of Man, and to As well as carrying passengers and cars on their Channel ferry under a B.E.A. Associate Agreement, Silver City Airways also carry goods under charter. Here one of their Freighters is seen receiving a Hiller 360 crop-spray helicopter, to be flown to the Sudan for Pest Control, Ltd. London via the American airfield at Burtonwood. The service to the Isle of Man is seasonal but the demand is heavy in the summer. The company has the rights over this route for five years. The latter Scottish Aviation route—Prestwick/Burton- wood/London—is interesting, as it came into being after long negotiation between the company and B.E.A. The Corpora tion held that the trunk routes out of London were their own responsibility, but eventually the Scottish proposal was approved on the understanding that the Agreement would be valid for one year only, as an experiment to meet U.S. Service requirements between Prestwick, Burtonwood and Northolt. The service now operates every week-day, leaving Prestwick shortly after o8oohr and, despite the call at Burtonwood, gets its passengers to Northolt in the mid- morning. Members of the general public are also carried and this allows both Scottish and Northern businessmen to do a good day's work in the South before returning in the even ing. The company uses DC-3S and provides catering in both directions, but there is no inclusive surface transport between city centre and airport; this is a new feature and one which will be applied when B.E.A. introduce their low- fare Paris services; but, nevertheless, it does not appear to have had any adverse effect on bookings. Scottish Aviation also received permission to operate the long-disputed route from Aberdeen to Belfast via Perth and Prestwick, but up to the time of writing they have not put this into effect. The Isle of Man, being one of the main holiday centres for the North, naturally provides big opportunities for the independent operator. The two chief independent operators in this area were North West Airlines (I.o.M.), Ltd., and Lancashire Aircraft Corporation, Ltd. The former company obtained agreements for a period of two years when first applying to the A.T.A.C. in 1949 but toward the close of the period threatened to suspend these services unless a longer period of operation was granted. The company's case was that, in the time available, it could not offset the expenditure which it had incurred by the purchase of DC-3S. The threat caused a great deal of concern in the Isle of Man but the crisis was averted by the pooling of die resources of the two operators concerned. The routes covered by these companies are from the Isle of Man to Leeds, Black pool and Newcastle. North West Airlines previously operated to Manchester, Renfrew and Birmingham, but this year they discontinued the last two runs. The Man chester route, which the company shared with Sivewright Airways, Ltd., has been taken over by B.E.A. Beside the routes mentioned, Lancashire Aircraft Corporation now also operates between the Isle of Man and Carlisle and Newcastle and the Channel Islands. Last year they flew a number of feeder services from the northern cities into Northolt, providing connections with the B.E.A. services to the Continent. Universal ticketing and documentation between the company and the Corporation was agreed and a "public facility" was therefore provided, allowing the
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