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Aviation History
1953
1953 - 1025.PDF
nnvL*n**Mrf\lim& l\ new*°\C enflineering base under construction at London Airport, parts of which will be occupied early UnhtlntlnrH IS. fT lq f ""^ baYS' ^"9 ,n"0"oti°" «f ** ^'g-zog under-floor pipes through which superheated steam will pass; (nght) at each corner of the bays ,s a mass,ve 1,000-ton counterbalance for the cantilever carrying half the load of a 150ft concrete arch CIVIL AVIATION THE JAN SMUTS AIRPORT (~)N Saturday last, August 1st, the Jan Smuts Airport (mid-way ^S between Johannesburg and Pretoria) was to have been officially opened. Of this occasion, Sir Miles Thomas, chairman of B.O.A.C., says "Jan Smuts Airport is indeed a fine example of South African initiative and enterprise. It holds a high place among airfields of the world, both in its conception and construc tion, and it is a symbol of South African determination to be in the forefront of modern developments. " For a considerable time, B.O.A.C. has been using the Jan Smuts Airport for its Comet services. In fact, it was the construc tion of Jan Smuts that made possible the inauguration of our Cornet services on the route between London and Johannesburg. I am sure that the opening of this new airport will be warmly wel comed by the airlines who will use it, not least by B.O.A.C." On September 1st all air services previously operated to and from the temporary airport at Palmietfontein (which has been in use since 1945) will have been transferred to the new airport. FURTHER SOUTH AFRICAN NEWS COUTH African air charter operators have shown concern at ^ a letter sent by the National Transport Commission to a Johannesburg charter company. In this, the company was informed that the Commission intended to prohibit the carriage of passengers or goods by the company to and from the goldfields area of the Orange Free State. If this particular ban is enforced, the charter companies fear that similar action may be taken on other routes and that they may be forced out of business. The company concerned was expected to express its objection to the ban before a meeting of the National Transport Commission in Pretoria. Another new national airport is under construction at Bellville, Cape Town. Situated in a fog-free area, on level country, this air port will become a main terminal for all air services in the Cape. The main runway is 2,200 yd long and 150 yd wide, and at present several other runways and the terminal area apron are also under construction. It is expected that this work will be com pleted by the end of February, 1954. B.O.A.C. BOOKINGS BOOM AN exceptionally heavy demand for seats was reported by B.O.A.C. last week. Not only were Comets leaving for South Africa and Eastern destinations with every one of their 36 seats filled, but comparable load factors were being experienced on the North Atlantic route. The boom is partly accounted for by the fact that fewer business men flew abroad during the Coronation period and that child passengers going abroad for school holidays are adding to the seasonal traffic. The Corpora tion reports, however, that these classes of traffic did not com pletely account for the fact that B.O.A.C. are carrying more passengers than ever before, since exceptional loads are also being carried on several inward flights. The average load factor, for example, for 67 services in and out of London Airport on three recent successive days was 77 per cent. ANOTHER VISCOUNT RECORD /"VNE of B.E.A.'s Viscounts (R.M.A. George Vancouver) set up " the fifth route record gained by this type of aircraft when, on July 28th, it flew from London to Copenhagen at an average speed of 299.5 m.p.h. By completing the journey in 121 min 53 sec, it cut over half an hour off the normal time. The aircraft, operating a normal scheduled service with 46 passengers aboard, was commanded by Captain R. F. Noden. Previous Viscount route records have been set up on the London-Cologne, Cologne- London, Zurich-London and London-Geneva routes. U.K. AIRPORTS IN JUNE 'T'HE number of movements at U.K. aerodromes in June was •*• 23,600, approximately 16 per cent more than in the corres ponding month of last year, and passenger traffic went up by 22 per cent to a total of 383,000 for the same period. Due largely to the traffic boom on the cross-Channel ferry, the amount of freight on- and off-loaded increased by no less than 97 per cent to 7,700 short tons. There was a slight increase in the amount of mail handled, tonnage for the month being 1,110. B.E.A.'s gradual transfer of services from Northolt to London Airport is beginning to affect traffic figures at the former terminal: the number of movements there in June was 3,800, 12 per cent less than in June, 1952, and the number of passengers dropped by 9 per cent to 75,500. The month's movements at London Airport totalled 4,550 (a 45 per cent increase) and passenger traffic increased by 39.5 per cent, the total number of people who passed through the airport being 118,400. During the fort night following the Coronation there were 53,200 passenger departures alone at London and Northolt. Impressive increases in passenger traffic were experienced at several British airports, including Lympne (308 per cent), Elmdon (64 per cent), Ringway (30 per cent), Renfrew and Turnhouse (each 28 per cent) and Southampton (23 per cent). The Channel Islands aerodromes handled 5,223 aircraft movements in June (an increase of 11 per cent) and 48,834 passengers, 1,400 more than in June, 1952. PASSENGER TAX TO BE WITHDRAWN THE withdrawal, next spring, of passenger service charges was announced to the House of Commons on July 29th by the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, Mr. Lennox-Boyd. This decision was recently forecast in a speech by Sir Miles Thomas. Replying to a question by A. Cdre. A. V. Harvey (Con. Maccles field), he said that the charge was introduced in May 1952 as a charge additional to the landing fee on airline operators to help meet the cost of services and facilities for passengers at State airports. It was on the basis of 5s. for each passenger leaving M.C.A. airports for overseas. It was hoped that this additional charge on the operators could be passed on to the travelling public by being absorbed into the fares. However, I.A.T.A. had, for a number of reasons, not agreed to do this. Most British independent operators were willing to arrange for the charge to be paid by passengers when they buy their tickets; but neither the Corporation and main foreign airlines
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