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Aviation History
1954
1954 - 0733.PDF
IP AIRC gift and AIRCRAFT ENGINEER First Aeronautical Weekly in the World Founded 1909 No. 2356 Vol. 65. FRIDAY, 19 MARCH 1954 ED/TOR MAURICE A. SMITH, D.F.C. ASSISTANT EDITOR H. F. KING, M.B.E. ART EDITOR JOHN YOXALL Editorial, Advertising and Publishing Offices: DORSET HOUSE, STAMFORD STREET, LONDON, S.E.1. Telegrams, Flightpres, Sedist, London. Telephone, Waterloo 3333 (60 lines) Branch Offices: COVENTRY 8-10, Corporation Street. Telegrams, Autocar, Coventry. Telephone, Coventry 5210. BIRMINGHAM. 2 King Edward House, New Street. Telegrams, Autopress, Birmingham. Telephone, Midland 7191 (7 lines). MANCHESTER, 3 260, Deansgate Telegrams, IlifTe, Manchester. Telephone, Blackfriars 4412 (3 lines). Deansgote 3595 (2 lines). GLASGOW, C.2. 26b Renfield Street. Telegrams, lliffe, Glasgow. Telephone, Central 1265 (2 lines). SUBSCRIPTIONS (new rates as from 26 March issue) :— Home and Overseas: Twelve months £4 10s. U.S.A. and Canada, $14.00. IN THIS ISSUE : Australia's Domestic Airlines 328 Reserve-school Recollections 331 The Stratospheric Superman 335 Frank Barnwell - - - 338 Manpower and Machines 344 Anglo-French Occasion - 350 Politics and Air Transport W HEN, shortly after his appointment as Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation in May 1952, Mr. Alan Lennox-Boyd announced the present Govern ment's civil aviation policy, there were protests that it was over-conservative in both senses of the term. The Opposition argued that, in offering the inde pendent airlines a pattern for future development, the Minister was undermining the Airways Corporations. By contrast, some independent spokesmen complained that the Conservatives were continuing the Socialist pohcy of "wet-nursing" the State airlines. We suggested at the time that the truth, not surprisingly, lay between the two ex tremes, and that the Government's policy was a reasonable compromise in the best interests of British civil aviation. Nothing has since happened to prove us wrong. The Airways Corporations continue to prosper in all but the narrowest financial sense. Their fleets, their traffic and their prospects have been respectively modernized, increased and improved, and they retain their statutory right to carry the British flag on all major international routes. The independents' traffic, too, has increased from a trickle to a steady stream, and the improving status of privately owned airlines can be measured by the amount of capital which they have attracted from shipping companies. The three main spheres of operation which independents have been encouraged to enter—by the prospect of seven to ten years' security of tenure—are, briefly: (1) all- freight services; (2) overseas passenger services on routes not reserved for the Airways Corporations; (3) third-class ("Colonial Coach") services on British cabotage routes. With one exception, the Corporations have not shown much interest in any of the freight routes granted to the independents. The exception is the North Atlantic route, for which Airwork hold the freight permit. Although cargo aircraft of other countries have been flying the Atlantic for years, B.O.A.C's plans for doing likewise were put forward only 18 months ago—one month after Airwork had applied for the route. There is now talk of co-operation between B.O.A.C. and Airwork on this route, which may bring a happy ending to the story. One thing seems certain: the Government's policy stimulated British interest in Atlantic air-freighting, an important market in which foreign operators have already established a lead. Insofar as the Corporations' main-line international passenger services are concerned, there has never been any question of superimposing British competition on that already offered by foreign airlines. In the few cases where independents decided to break new ground (e.g., the Northern Europe networks of Hunting-Clan and Eagle), no reasonable objections could be raised. The choicest overseas routes had long since been snapped up by the Corporations. To date the Colonial Coach services have not undermined B.O.A.C.'s traffic; in fact, there is some evidence that both first-class and tourist bookings have benefited from the introduction of the third-class service. So far, so good: but with Britannias on the way and the Argonauts' book value almost written off, B.O.A.C. will soon be in a position to reduce fares on the cabotage routes. Critics of the "three-tier" fare policy enforced on these routes argue—and the argument is not wholly without foundation—that the Corporation is (or will be) prevented from competing with the independents on equal terms. Perhaps the independents themselves, who also have re-equipment plans, will provide a solution by bringing their own fares still lower. The answer to this particular problem is not to be found in surmise, or in political pamphlets of any colour, but in actual experience. If the independents are to retain any sort of guarantee for the future they must surely retain their Colonial rights, modest enough by any standards. In expressing their view, we urge that, in all aspects, British civil aviation policy should continue to be positive in its approach and non-restrictive in its application. As support, we quote part of the excellent speech made in the Commons last week by W/C. P. B. Lucas: "It would seem to me that at this stage we are in danger of becoming slaves to the conception that in air transport there is only a limited amount of trade, and that if competition is increased there will be insufficient business to go round . . . The danger is that we may miss or lose glittering opportunities ... by over-legislating for the fears which some are now quite naturally expressing."
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