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Aviation History
1953
1953 - 0311.PDF
6 March 1953 309 B.O.A.C. IN 1952 THERE is little doubt that credit for the lead at present possessed by this country in the turbojet transport field is due both to the makers of the Comet, the world's first turbojet airliner, and to its first operators. The widespread publicity at present focused on B.O.A.C.'s Comet opera tions, and so apparently embarrassing to other manufacturers and airlines, is the result of the Corporation's early and bold decision to order Comets off the drawing board, and is entirely deserved. While others talked, B.O.A.C. acted—and arrived first in operation with this new form of propulsion. The most significant date during the year was undeniably that of May 2nd, when the world's first turbojet airliner service, from London to Johannesburg, was inaugurated. The Comet was subsequently introduced on two other routes during 1952, to Colombo in August and to Singapore in October. The pas senger-appeal of these unique services resulted in exceptionally high load factors. On the North Atlantic routes, too, traffic had increased. The reason here was the introduction of tourist services, to New York and Montreal, using 68-seat Lockheed Constellations: once again, passenger demand was high, resulting in profitable operation. Chairman and Board B.O.A.C. FLEET LIST Eight Comets, 22 Argonauts, 17 Hermes, 6 Yorks, 12 Con stellations, 10 Stratocruisers. B.O.A.C. Scheduled Traffic Statistics, 1952 (Provisional) Passengers ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 269,637 Passenger-miles ... ... ... ... ... 859,526,721 Freight ton-miles 24,151,988 Mail ton-miles 16,170,796 Ton-miles available 201,554,731 Ton-miles performed 130,637,33 Overall load factor (per cent) ... ... ... ... 64.8 Aircraft hours flown ... ... ... ... ... 137,919 Number of employees ... ... ... ... 16-17,000 Unduplicated route mileage 89,654 B.O.A.C. Financial Statistics, 1951-52 , Operating revenue Operating expenditure Operating profit Profit before interest payment Net surplus £ 33,567,862 32,164,801 1,403,061 1,233,722 • •• 274,999 Medical Personnel Financial Press and Information Secretary and Legal Operations Director Administration Stations and Traffic r Deputy Ops. Supplies Subsidiary Directors Companies (Operations) (Engineering) B.O.A.C.'s organization structure features 11 main departments, responsible to the Board. Departmental heads, with Board chairman and deputy chairman, combine to form the executive management panel. Members of the Board: Sir Miles Thomas, D.F.C. (chairman): Whitney W. Straight, C.B.E., M.C., D.F.C. (deputy chairman): J. W. Booth: Major J. R. McCrindle, C.M.G., O.B.E., M.C. (adviser, international affairs): Lord Burghley, K.C.M.G.: Major Ft. H. Thornton, M.C.: Sir Clement Jones, C.B.: H. L Newlands, M.B.E.: Sir Francis Brake, M.I.E.E.: Sir John Stephenson, C.B.E., J.P. Against these promising trends, two main factors caused an unfortunate decrease in revenue. As with B.E.A., the American fuel strike caused many of B.O.A.C.'s peak-travel services to be withdrawn, resulting in an estimated net loss of between £250,000 an d £300,000. The second factor was a marked decrease in the volume of mail carried by air—due to causes such as the Australian import restrictions and the political disturbances in the Near East—which is still causing a yearly loss of some £1,250,000. The first post-war profit to be made by a British airline cor poration was announced by B.O.A.C. for its financial year 1951-52. The previous year's net deficit of £4,565,428, after payment of interest, was replaced by an overall surplus of £274,999. In the first six months of the current financial year—up to the end of September, 1952—the Corporation's overall surplus totalled £149,602, or just over half the figure for the 1951-52 year. Because of seasonal traffic fluctuations, however, and the need for summer traffic revenue to cover winter losses before a profit for the year is possible, this April-September figure was nearly £700,000 below expectations, due to the two main causes mentioned above. For the future, B.O.A.C.'s orders for Comet 2s, Comet 3s and Britannia s forecasts a steady improvement in operating perform ance and economy. There appears no reason for Britain's lead in the operation of turbine-powered civil aircraft to be lost. THE CORPORATION'S BACKGROUND THE British Overseas Airways Corporation is responsible for the operation of all the British long-distance scheduled air services, and the Corporation can trace its ancestry back to the beginning of British air transport. On April 1st, 1924, Imperial Airways was formed, as the national airline, from the four pioneer airlines: Handley Page Transport, Ltd., the Instone Air Line, Ltd., British Marine Air Navigation Co., Ltd., and the Daimler Airway, itself a direct descendant of Aircraft Transport and Travel, Ltd., the company which operated the first British air service from London to Paris, on August 25th, 1919. The main task of Imperial Airways was the development of trunk air routes linking the United Kingdom with British terri tories overseas. Routes were surveyed and regular services operated to East and South Africa and to India and Australia. Feeder services were later opened to West Africa and to Hong Kong. The Empire Air Mail Programme was inaugurated in 1937, and in the same year the company began the first experimental airline flights across the North Atlantic. On April 1st, 1940, Imperial Airways became officially merged with British Airways, which had been flying Con tinental services and with which I.A.L. had been working since 1939. The new organization was called the British Over seas Airways Corporation, and it began life in the difficult war period, in which it distinguished itself. Since then the Corporation has established itself as one of the world's greatest airlines; its routes now stretch some 90,000 miles to all continents. Subsidiaries are: Aden Airways, Bahamas Airways, B.W.I.A., Gulf Avia tion, British International Airlines and International Aeradio, and there are nine associates. Adviser International Affairs International Affairs Operations Development Sales
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