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Aviation History
1960
1960 - 0125.PDF
FLIGHT, 22 January 1960 125 Sabena's first Boeing 707-329 service started last Tuesday on the route to Leopoldville; other services to New York and Johannesburg follow tomorrow and on January 25 AIR COMMERCEI BOAC BOARD RE-SHUFFLE? A FRONT-PAGE story in the Daily Mail last Monday ("BIG /*- BOAC SHAKE-UP") reported that both Sir Gerard d'Erlanger, BOAC's chairman, and his deputy, Sir George Cribbett, are expected to resign. Last week BOAC could make "no comment" on this report. It is known that Sir George Cribbett has been suffering fromill-health during the last year, and his retirement from BOAC would not come as a surprise to many people in British aviation.His term is due to expire on April 30, 1961. Likewise Sir Gerard's term is not due to expire until April 30 next year, at which timethe question of renewal (as in the case of Lord Douglas of BEA, whose appointment was recently renewed for two years fromMarch 31 next) would be considered by the Minister of Aviation. Assuming the Daily Mail story to be true, three vacancies wouldappear on BOAC's board, Sir John Stephenson having recently retired. It was reported that Mr Sandys would fill two of thevacancies from within the corporation, and the third by an appointment from the ranks of the independent airlines. AIR CHARTER'S RAILWAY LINK IT was not to be expected that the blossoming entente betweenBritish Railways and Silver City would for long see Air Charter, the nation's other air ferry operator, left in the cold. Last week thelatter's Channel Air Bridge division revealed its future plan for hand-in-hand expansion with the railways: car sleeper trainsfeeding traffic into Southend from the still-dormant but potentially lucrative markets of Scotland and the North of England. A longer-term plan (in which can be seen a parallel with the Manston and Le Touquet railway spurs for which Silver City are hoping) isthe construction of a new terminal building at Southend Airport embracing—on the Gatwick plan—a station on the railway lineinto Southend town. This is largely a matter for decision by Southend Corporationfrom which, it is understood, no action can be expected until the future of the airport becomes clearer. On this score AirCharter have strong views and are persuasive in their assurance that Southend Airport is best placed as the car ferry departurepoint for the majority of the country's population—a geographical area now to embrace Scotland. Discussions have been held withBritish Railways on the provision of direct rail services from Glasgow and Edinburgh to Southend, with Newcastle or York asintermediate pick-up points. Annual fare-reductions by the air ferries have come almost tobe expected, and travellers with cars on the Air Bridge are not to be disappointed—winter reduced rates are being continueduntil June 15 and fares lower than last year's standard rates will be charged thereafter (£7 for the smallest car to Rotterdam; the1959 minimum was £8) although passenger rates are up a shilling or two to cover increased airport tax.Frequencies on the Ostend service will rise to an hourly depar- ture peak. The increase has been occasioned by a demand forcoach-air alternatives to surface travel. GHANA'S STATUS SYMBOL "POSSESSION of an airline is a symbol of national adulthood,x a prestige requirement often transcending such pressing public needs as roads, schools, hospitals and so on. Thus Ghana, in asurprise decision, has announced her intention to buy out BOAC Associated Companies' 40 per cent interest in Ghana Airways,nominal capital of which is £400,000. This comes only 18 months after Dr Nkrumah's inauguration of his airline at Accra Airporton July 15,1958. (The agreement between BOAC and Ghana Air- ways was signed on July 4, 1958.)It would be surprising if Ghana Airways now intend immedi- ately to dispense with BOAC's seconded staff, who hold seniormanagement posts in the airline and who are assisting in its Ghanaization." It would also be surprising if Ghana were plan-ning to go it alone in buying new equipment for international services. The contract with BOAC whereby the corporationcharters Britannias to Ghana Airways (in Ghana's colours) for the Accra - London route does not expire until July 1965. How-ever, Mr Edusei, Minister cf Transport, referred last week to plans "to expand international transcontinental routes and extendand increase the frequency of domestic services." The first hint of discord between the partners was noted at Ghana Airways' first a.g.m, on October 15, 1959. Krobo Edusei,Minister of Transport, said in his speech: "Perhaps, also, co-operation between the partners could be improved. It is onlyby working as a team that we can ensure success. . . . Not only will I ensure that there is no undue interference from my Ministry,but I shall also take the necessary steps to protect your board from outside interference." In the same speech Mr Edusei gave a measure to Ghana'snationalistic pride in its airline by saying: "We trust . . . that you (Ghana Airways) will continue to measure your services, notin terms of your money reward, but in the feeling that you are participating in a noble cause. From now on, I wish to stressthe importance that everything in the Ghana Airways crest, i.e., labels, notices, napkins, etc., should bear Ghana Airways' name." Thus Ghana Airways will no longer be included among BOACAssociated Companies Ltd. This will not mean reduced losses for BOAC, since these (£174,000 in Ghana Airways' first year)were in any case underwritten by the Ghana Government. DEPUTATION TO THE MINISTER "I ITTLE satisfaction" was the report given to the Press by the*—' leader of an airport noise deputation, A. T. Courtney, following talks with the Minister of Aviation in London onJanuary 12 about noise around London Airport. He was leading a deputation representing 17 local authorities. "We had somesatisfaction," he said, "but very little." The talks had lasted for an hour and a half. Mr Courtney said he told the Minister thathis deputation represented some five million people. He had said that this was "only the end of the first round," and that theywould now go back to their authorities to discuss the next move. "We shall not let the Minister sleep on this, any more than he letsus sleep," he added. . ... ..-..:..•'*•- . •:- _ EAA'S COMET 4 PLANSM AY is the month in which EAA now expect to take deliveryof the first of their two Comet 4s. Services between Nairobi and London, at a frequency of three flights per week, are plannedto start at the beginning of July. At the same time there will be a twice-weekly service to Bombay and a weekly service to Johan-nesburg. This service will be direct, and will be in addition to the present weekly Canadair DC-4M service via Dar-es-Salaam,Blantyre and Salisbury. Comet 4 crews are already undergoing training with BOAC. The Canadair DC-4Ms which EAA bought from BOAC two-and-a-half years ago will be displaced by the Comets, and will be used to operate cheap fare services between East Africa and theUK, and to expand domestic services. BATTLE OF THE BAHAMAS PRESIDENT EISENHOWER has approved the applicationsby two British independents, Eagle Airways (Bahamas) and Skyways (Bahamas)—Bahamas Airways—to operate United King-dom Route 6 in the Bermuda agreement. Both airlines will operate Nassau - Miami - Havana, and Bahamas Airways also get Nassau -Fort Lauderdale - Palm Beach. This airline, as already reported, will use two 78-seat Hermes 4s; Eagle Airways (Bahamas) will useViscounts chartered from Eagle Airways (Bermuda), which recently exchanged its sole Viscount 805 with Aer Lingus fortwo Viscount 707s. The first is due in Bermuda tomorrow, January 23, the next on February 17. This marks the end of the first round in an unusual—if notunique—political tussle between two UK independents for the right to operate scheduled services into the world's richest airtraffic market. The next round will be the keen commercial rivalry which will develop on the Florida - Bahamas routes between theseBritish airlines and the US carriers PanAm and Mackey.
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