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Aviation History
1960
1960 - 0623.PDF
FLIGHT, 6 May 1960 623 "Flight" photograph- The Independent Outlook against the corporations, so that there is no intention on my partof trying to get any business which belongs to them." How does this co-operation with BOAC work out in practice? What in detail are your arrangements? "I have always thought that we could make a valuable con-tribution to the BOAC subsidiary companies. As you will know, in conjunction with David Brown we bought an 80 per centinterest in Bahamas Airways and we shall relieve the corporation of very considerable liabilities there." In what other ways do you visualize this co-operation workingout? "We operate freight services to Singapore on behalf of BOACand also their supplies flight. With Yorks, we are under an obligation to fly spares and other supplies anywhere in the world.We have a similar contract with PanAm. I would liken the role of Skyways to that of specialists on freight operations for thecorporation." In your own name? "No, always in their name. I want them to be corporation services, although we are actually responsible for the operation." Do you think that with aircraft like the Vanguard coming alongthere will be all this scope for operating a separate specialist freight service? "The freight offered on the Atlantic is already fantastic. Thereis going to be plenty of business for the all-freight operator. Moreover anything which is too bulky or too dirty must goseparately in a freighter." Do you see this operation only as a means of utilizing oldmachines or with new equipment? "With adequate utilization I would love to use Argosies. Theyare a perfect replacement for our present aircraft, although high utilization is essential. But I am sure that the traffic would comeif the services were available. It is the old business of the chicken or the egg all over again. What is now needed is someone whois able to sweat it out long enough until they create the traffic Eric Rylands, Former BIATA President, Interviewed by Frank Beswick IN another of his interviews with leading figures in the British indepen-dent air transport world, Mr Beswick discusses with Eric Rylands, managing director of Skyways Ltd and 1958-59 president of BIATA,the outlook for the independents in terms of operations and equipment. Mr. Rylands is the BOAC associated companies' nominee on the boardof Middle East Airlines and its engineering associate MASCO. WHEN first I met Eric Rylands he was chairman of BIATA,and I am bound to confess that for some time I thoughthe was BIATA. Those were the days when the British Independent Air Transport Association had quite modest annualdinners and Mr Rylands' executive energy was concentrated in the Lancashire Aircraft Corporation. My first question was to ask how it came about that whenthe general trend was to absorb and merge, he had done just the opposite and cut off his first interest, the Lancashire company?"You recall," he replied, "that at that time your Government were reserving the scheduled operations as a monopoly for thecorporations. Our principal business was to the Isle of Man and we built up traffic there from one Rapide service a day in 1947to 25 a day by the time we sold the company. This was made possible by the wonderful network of coach services which broughtin people on a combined air-coach ticket from all over Lancashire to the air terminal. We tried to interest the shipping companiesin this service, but when Silver City took over Manx Airlines we decided there was only room for one operator. Do you think this process of merging will go much further? Is there a point at which we start losing efficiency as these units get larger? "My view is that we shall eventually get three or four inter-national independents and two internal operators. If all the little people could form into one or two groups then I think that isabout it." This is including Skyways as one of the four internationalcompanies, of course. But would you say your own position in relation to the corporation is rather different from others? "Yes, that is certainly so. Our relationship has always beencompletely free, with no other reason or purpose behind it than the commercial advantage of both sides. My idea about co-opera-tion will work out with BOAC regardless of any other political consideration. As long as the management of the corporationassure us that this is satisfactory from their point of view, then we are happy." What difference will the new Bill make to you? "None at all. We are already pledged to work with and not demand. I am myself a great believer in freight. With pre-packedcargoes ready to wheel in, the potential with aircraft like Argosies is tremendous." What about your other category of operations—the coach-airservices? Is there a future for that very short-haul operation without any supporting longer haul business to go with it? "The cross-Channel service may be a short-haul operationwith a low price ticket, but we are expecting to carry 100,000 passengers this year. There is ample scope, for remember thatsomething over 2m people cross by sea. What is really needed here, however, is a certain amount of rationalization on overheads.For example, today there are two airports within 15 miles of each other, with two lots of overheads, catering for the cross-Channelbusiness. "Incidentally, one extremely interesting feature of this businessis the way in which it is attracting young people to air travel. A recent survey showed that something like 84 per cent of all ourpassengers on the cross-Channel coach-air service were under 25 years of age. The charm of the service is its friendly character." What about these new possibilities—the Channel tunnel,Channel bridge, or hovercraft? Are they going to affect the cross-Channel air services? "I doubt it. There may be some new ideas in the future, butfor as long as I am in the business I don't think they will affect us." I would just like to ask one further question about the shippingcontribution. Shipping companies have a very considerable financial interest in all these independents, including your own,yet we hear so little about integration as between sea and air. Is there much that can be done? And do you think the shippingpeople have much of a contribution to make in management? "In this intermediary situation I do not think they have a greatdeal of experience to offer as far as technical or commercial management is concerned. But clearly there is scope for anenormous saving if the sales effort was properly integrated and rationalized as between shipping and air companies. Also someform of loose arrangement on the main routes—interchange of tickets, for example—could obviously be beneficial. I imaginethat people like the P & O, Cunard, Union Castle lines are looking twenty years ahead when it comes to a closer form ofpartnership. I do not think there is any conflict between the two forms of transport—the air operator can offer time and the shippingcompanies relaxation. Both are very important. In fact we ought to be looking at the whole business as British transport ratherthan separate shipping and air travel." . »
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