FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1960
1960 - 1818.PDF
406 FUGHT> 9 i 960 AIR COMMERCE . . . SABENA SUBSIDIZED TPHE latest annual report from Sabena is a none-too-cheerful •*• document. In a year which was generally a period of rapid recovery, the Belgian national carrier suffered a five per cent loss of traffic and finished up with a loss of Fr. 198 million (£1.4 million), which was met by a State subsidy. On total revenues equivalent to £24 million, this is not a good result. The report puts the blame for the loss on the delayed improve- ments in the Belgian national economy and on the long-term stagnation experienced in the economy of the Congo. However, the stark figures have a different story to tell, for at over 40 pence per c.t.m. Sabena's costs appear to be unduly high. At about 14,000 c.t.m. per employee their annual staff productivity is abnormally low (even by comparison with other European opera- tors who average about 20,000 c.t.m. annually). And at £33 million, the capital tied up in the airline is out of all proportion to the current level of business. The general pattern of Sabena's traffic in 1959 remained largely unchanged: of total traffic, routes between Belgium and the Congo accounted for one-third; those across the North Atlantic for one-quarter; those in Europe for one-fifth; the remaining tenth represented the Congo internal traffic. These proportions under- line the extent to which Sabena will be damaged as a consequence of the current crisis in the Congo. The loss of Congo traffic, the company's apparently extravagant use of men and money, and the probability of severe capital losses on the fleet of nine DC-7Cs, all point in one direction: the Belgian taxpayer must be prepared to come to Sabena's aid for quite a few more years yet. FIXED-PERIOD NOTAMS ONE of the difficulties with the present Notam system is thatapplications of procedural changes come into force at random intervals. It has been argued that it would be much more desirable if the flow of information could be regulated so that charts and route manuals could remain up-to-date for at least a minimum fixed period. Fixed-date implementation would also assist those whose task it is to amend the manuals and pilots who have to operate the new procedures—in this way there should be fewer loose pieces of paper and less handwritten amendments. (A recom- mendation for such a scheme was made in Flight, March 25, page 415.) MoA Civil Aviation Information Circular 90/1960 introduces such a system. The essence of the plan is that any permanent or semi-permanent alterations to FIRs, controlled airspaces, radio aids, communication facilities, aerodromes, meteorological facili- ties and the like shall be made at fixed twenty-eight-day periods. In addition, twenty-eight days' notice shall be given. A new instrument landing procedure, for example, would be announced in the Notam due to be published on September 29, 1960; would come into effect on October 27, and should not then normally be altered until the start of the next twenty-eight-day period, i.e. November 24. However, cases of operational urgency will be allowed to override the plan. Those responsible for production of charts and route manuals may look forward to receiving amending information on set dates, in the expectation that it will remain current for a further four weeks at the minimum. If the scheme succeeds it will be most VTOL control from fans driven by bleed air, or variable-thrust ha k of lift engines? The photograph shows the latter, one of the vJ*- into the control of VTOL transports being conducted by Boulto ' pf The engine pods can clearly be faired off for cruising flight advantageous; but at the same time the Aeronautical Informatinn Service, as originators of the information, will constantly hsve t think nine weeks ahead (one week for printing, four weeks'"rio notice and four weeks' validity of information). Optimism win clearly have to be tempered with allowances for human frailty CRISIS IN CEYLON TTHE chairman and the general manager of Air Ceylon Mr •*- P. Nadesan and Mr J. L. M. Fernando, have resigned follo'wine charges of maladministration made by the Air Ceylon Pilotf Association. Among the allegations made are: improper administration and control of the agreement with KLM, with the result that Ceylonization has been restricted; favouritism and nepotism in the matter of appointments and promotions; and abuse of privileges and facilities by the management for their own personal benefit The pilots appear to be particularly piqued that there are no Ceylonese pilots on regular international flights, although "some of the pilots who have left Air Ceylon for other countries are doing extremely well." Air Ceylon's crisis lies deeper than a dispute with dissatisfied pilots, although it is the latter's Association that has voiced the nationalistic aspirations of the airline. Air Ceylon's chairman had said that the purchase of competitive types of aircraft for both international and regional services would cost over Rs 25 million. The pilots reply that this is absurd and that the ex-chairman is apparently ignorant of the reasons why Air Ceylon has been restricted in obtaining traffic rights in neighbouring countries- it has been disqualified because the crews operating international services are Dutch and not Ceylonese. At the behest of the Ceylon Minister for Transport, Mr Nadesan said in answer to the pilots' charges that allegations of mal- administration in Air Ceylon had been made so frequently that "it would be in the best interests of everybody that they be investigated and the truth ascertained." The international service had been run at a loss from its inception, but none of the losses had been borne by the airline. Commissions received from KLM had helped to offset heavy losses on regional services. Seven out of ten passengers on Air Ceylon's internal flights, he said, were govern- ment servants who do not pay for their tickets. Mr. Nadesan added, "I have no charge to answer as regards my period of steward- ship. I have worked without remuneration—being the only chairman of a State corporation to do so. I have formulated a budget and a cadre where none existed before, and settled every conceivable dispute that existed between the management and personnel by meeting the trade unions myself." VISCOUNTS FOR CAMBRIAN /^AMBRIAN AIRWAYS hope to introduce Viscounts in 1963. ^ This was said by Wg Cdr L. B. Elwin, the airline's managing director, in announcing that Cambrian will re-open a winter service between Cardiff, Bristol, Southampton and Paris on October 31. There will be three return flights a week. Wg Cdr Elwin said that the airline's international traffic had this year expanded by 52 per cent, of which 39 per cent was on the Paris service alone. Traffic to the Channel Islands had also increased and would have been higher than the 14 per cent achieved had it not been for construction of the new runway at Guernsey. Increase in traffic by centres on the Paris route was: Southampton, +25 per cent; Bristol, +43 per cent; and Cardiff, + 50 per cent. On the Channel Islands services, passenger traffic at Cardiff and Swansea increased by 20 per cent. Domestic services were "carrying traffic in excess of the level budgeted for. Making reference to the new service which Cambrian hope to operate between London, Bristol, South Wales and Cork, Wg Cdr Elwin said that: "We can only expand ... if the travelling public support us. I am pleased to say they are now coming forward in ever-increasing numbers, but there is still ample capacity over all routes available for sale." Of Cambrian's future policy the managing director said: "Our policy is to develop inter-city and Continental services serving Bristol, Wales and the west of England, wherever possible with our own services ... or by being complementary to larger national operators." CANADAIR 540s FOR QUEBECAIR '"THE Canadian local service airline Quebecair has ordered from •*• Canadair two Napier Eland powered Canadair 540s to supple- ment its fleet of three Fairchild F-27s, three DC-3s and two Cansos. The first is already in service, making a daily return mp over the 800-mile route Montreal - Quebec - Rimouski - Seven Islands - Wabush Lake - Shefferville.
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
