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Aviation History
1958
1958-1- - 0413.PDF
FLIGHT, 5 September 1958 ARGENTINE AWAKENING Birth and Rebirth of Commercial Aviation: Problems for the Future By RONALD HANSEN Aerolineas Argentinas, principal national operators, use DC-6s on their long-distance routes. COMMERCIAL aviation in Argentina is at present enjoyinga remarkable rebirth, thanks to the policy of the late"interim" government which recently turned over office to President Dr. Arturo Frondizi.Air transport is not, of course, new to Argentina, nor could it be to an enormous and largely undeveloped country with veryimperfect surface communications. It was in 1929 that Compagnie Generate Aeropostale began airmail operations with Late-25machines between Buenos Aires and Asunci6n (Paraguay), later extending their services to Bahia Blanca, San Antonio, Trelew,etc., all these points being located in Patagonia. The old Aero- postale days are vividly recorded in some of Antoine de Saint-Exupery's books. The Frenchmen gradually withdrew and vacant posts began tobe filled by local personnel. Shortly afterwards an Argentine com- pany, Aeroposta Argentina, was formed and its lines graduallyextended nearer and nearer the Antarctic Circle. Aeroposta went through financial difficulties and in 1934 they received a Statesubsidy and free petrol from the State oil concern. Gradually they extended their feelers to Rio Grande, one of the most southerlycities in the world, in Tierra del Fuego. The Late-25s gave way to 2&s and later to 17-seater Junkers-52.Then, in 1947, the State moved in and contracts were drawn up with Aeroposta, by which the Government and Aeropostaformed a new "mixed" firm, with the private capital taking 80 per cent of the shares; Government took the remaining 20 per centand promised to also "chip in" with airfields, ground equipment, etc. This new concern bought DC-3s, a type of aircraft alsoacquired by a number of other "mixed" firms which started up at that time, like ZONDA (who struck out north to Salta, Jujuy,etc.), ALFA (who operated Sunderland and Sandringham flying- boats up the River Parana) and FAMA, who started flying over-seas with DC-4s. However, these companies started losing money, and finally theState nationalized them and formed them into a single, wholly nationally-financed firm called Aerolineas Argentinas, which isstill, of course, the main Argentine airline. Subsequently the Government, later overthrown by the Revolution of 1955,declared that the exploitation of the air was an exclusive privilege of the National Government.Having absorbed ZONDA, Aeroposta, FAMA and ALFA, Aero- lineas Argentinas began operating on local and on internationalservices, as is well known, and at present they are operating internally with DC-3s, Convair 240s, Sandringhams and DC-4s,while their long-haul foreign services employ DC-6s; and, of course, they will soon be putting into service the Comet 4s,which have given rise to such a lot of controversy in Buenos Aires. This controversy has not been caused by any doubts as to thetechnical excellence of the Comets, but rather as to the advisability CENTRES SERVED: The Argentine cities and towns shown in the map are served by the airlines listed below (abbreviations: AA, Aerolineas Argentinas; Aus, Austral; LADE, Lineas Aereas del Estado; ALA, Aerovias del L'rtoral; Tr, Transcontinental; Cuyo, Lineas Aereas de Cuyo; PLAS, Primeras Lineas Aereas Santafesinas):— Bahia Blanca, AA, Aus, LADE; Bariloche, AA, LADE, Cuyo; Catamarca, LADE; Canadon Leon, AA; Comodoro Rivadavia, AA, Aus, LADE; Cordoba, AA, ALA, LADE, Tr, Cuyo; Concordia, AA; Corientes, AA; Esquel, AA; Formosa, AA; General Pico, AA; Jujuy, AA; Lago Argentino, AA; La Cumbre, AA; La Rioja, AA. Mar del Plata; AA, Tr, Cuyo; Mendoza, AA, Tr, Cuyo; Monte Caseros, AA; Neuquen, AA; Oran, AA; Perito Moreno, AA; Puerto Deseado, AA; Presidencia Roque Saenz Pena, AA; Posadas, AA; Paso de Los Libres, AA; Rio Gallegos, AA, Aus, LADE; Rio Grande, AA, Aus; Rio Cuarto, AA, Cuyo; Rio Hondo, AA; Resistencia, AA, ALA; Rosario, AA, ALA. Son Julian, AA; Santa Cruz, AA; Santa Rosa, AA, LADE; San Luis, AA, LADE; Santiago del Estero, AA; San Rafael, AA, Cuyo; Santa Fe AA, PLAS; Salta, AA, Tr; Trelew, AA, Aus, LADE; Tandil, LADE; Tartagal, AA; Tucuman, AA, ALA, Tr, Cuyo; Ushuaia, AA. 417 of acquiring expensive aircraft at a time when the country'sbalance-of-payments position is very poor indeed; there were also some comments, in rather questionable taste, by a Boeing repre-sentative at a Press conference, who stated specifically that the 707-720 Boeing was a better commercial proposition than theComet, particularly at part-load conditions. However, this affair has at last been settled by the purchase of the Mk 4s, and anArgentine delegation flew to Great Britain recently in order to familiarize itself with handling, maintenance and other mattersconcerning this aircraft. But to return to our history lesson. Aerblineas enjoyed a com-plete monopoly until the downfall of the Peron regime. The pro- visional of "caretaker" government decided to reverse previouspolicy and, by two decrees, firstly advocated complete "freedom of the air" and then laid down conditions for the constitution of Resistencia Posadas "oCorfientes-* ...••" RIO CUARTO ROSAR|O • o San Luis BUENO^AIRES Gral Pico Santa Rosa
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