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Aviation History
1961
1961 - 1566.PDF
670 FLIGHT, 26 October 1961 AIR COMMERCE... BRANIFF ORDERS ONE-ELEVENS BRANIFF International Airways has placed a firm order for sixBAC One-Elevens with an option on another six, and thus becomes the first major American airline to order a foreign airliner"off the drawing board." The bare facts behind the order are that deliveries of the first six are to begin in October, 1964, and tocontinue through the first quarter of 1965, while the value of all 12 One-Elevens is approximately S35m (£12im) including spares. Behind these facts can be discerned a trend of great potentialimportance to the British industry, for Braniff is the third major US carrier in the last two years to order jets from Europe. LikeUnited and TWA when they bought Caravelles. it had never bought non-American equipment before. And unlike United and TWA,who had sponsored such important types as the Boeing 247, the DC-2, the DC-6 and the Constellation, Braniff has always reliedon off-the-shelf as distinct from sponsored or ""off the drawing board" orders to maintain its competitive position. Its selectionof the One-Eleven three whole years before the type is due to be delivered (and without having any background of Viscount opera-tions to predispose its choice) is a gratifying tribute to BAC. The Braniff order, together with the interest in the One-Eleven shown bysuch carriers as Ozark and Frontier, shows that the traditional American reluctance to buy non-American equipment is beginningto crumble rapidly. It has been known for some months that Braniff has been in themarket for a Convair 440/340 replacement; the airline was reported to have been interested in the Avro 748, and before that considera-tion had been given to re-engining the Convairs (Braniff has six 440s and 25 340s) with Allison 501-Dl 3 turboprops. Mr CharlesE. Beard, president of Braniff, said of his new order: "After devoting more than a year to comparative analyses, it is our conclusion thatthe BAC One-Eleven is the short-range jet best adapted to the routes on which we plan to operate them. The economy of theBAC One-Eleven, combined with its operating characteristics, make it unusually suitable for an operator with our kind of route,over which most of the flying is on segments of 250 miles or less. We already have the large jets for the longer hauls. The BACOne-Eleven will bring economical and comfortable jet travel to the customers who make the shorter nights." Sir George Edwards said of Braniff's choice: "Their reasons forchoosing the One-Eleven may well read across to a number of other airlines now studying the idea of a 'second jet' to serve allthe routes below those operated by their large jets. This has always been one of the major roles foreseen for the One-Eleven. There arealready firm indications that before long there may be further orders for One-Elevens, including some from the United States." CAA's GOOD YEAR ALTHOUGH the profitable Zambezi Viscount services to theUK were withdrawn in October 1960, due to the introduction of Skycoach services, CAA made a profit for the year ending June30, 1961, the airline operating without state subsidy for the second year running. Declaring a net operating profit of £127,032 MrR. M. Taylor, CAA's chairman, said that the programmes and the budget for the year ahead envisaged no subsidy requirements.He also said that in considering the profit figure it should be appreciated that the airline had created two reserves totalling £150,000as a safeguard against the increasing cost of replacing assets. The profit for 1959-60 was £72,751. Prestwick is to have a new £l^m terminal, due to be opened in August 1963. A unique feature is that the railway, car parks and passenger accommodation will be approximately 8ft below the apron level. The terminal will be large enough to cater for the expected traffic in 1968, when it is estimated that 600,000 passengers will use the airport. The first part of the new apron is already under construction. Initially twelve aircraft stands are provided On the financial front the carrier earned revenues totalling£3,237,370, an increase of £208,335 over the previous year, while operating expenditure increased by only £4,054 (before appropria-tion of the £150,000 reserves) to £2,960,338. Interest on capital during the year amounted to £142,893, and loans repaid to£253,350. No costs nor c.t.m.s flown are given in the sketchy press releaseand until the annual report is received no clear picture can be defined as to how the carrier is progressing. Looking at thefinancial results the carrier has had a remarkable year, increasing revenue by approximately 7 per cent, while expenditure hardlyincreased at all. Passenger traffic increased in 1960-61 by 13 per cent to 201,004 and freight increased by 14 per cent to arather small total of 2,110 tons. Much of the passenger increase is largely due to the carrier's activities in marketing all-inclusiveseaside holidays to Cape Town in conjunction with Union Castle. CAA still operates unprofitable Beaver services in Barotseland andNyasaland, together with DC-3 services to Fort Jameson and other points which offer little prospect of worthwhile returns in theimmediate future. QUESTIONS ABOUT SAFETYA S forecast in last week's issue, several questions in the Househave been asked on the independents' safety record. Mr Strachey (Lab, Dundee West) asked the Minister of Aviationwhether he was aware of the growing public concern over the recent accidents to aircraft belonging to private airlines, includingthe BKS Dakota that crashed near Carlisle on October 17, and also the number of fatal accidents per million passenger-miles flown forindependents and corporations respectively during 1960 and 1961 to date. Mr Strachey also wanted to know whether the Ministerwould issue new and stricter safety regulations for all aircraft on charter flights. Mr C. M. Woodhouse, the new PPS to the Ministry of Aviation,replied that the Minister was aware of the growing public concern at independent accidents, and was on that day (October 18) on aflight (to Stavanger in an RAF Comet) gaining background know- ledge of the problems involved. Mr Gresham Cooke (Cons, Twickenham) asked if the routetesting of pilots going overseas on charter flights was the same as for scheduled flights, and was the Minister convinced that thenavigational equipment o i172 on charter aircraft wasas good as on scheduled aircraft. Mr Wood-house said that the regulations governingnavigational equipment were exactly the samefor charter as for sched- duled operators, andwent on to explain the function of air opera-tors' certificates; he did not answer the questionabout route testing. Mr Mason and Mr Cookeboth pressed for an inquiry into charteroperations, while Mr Strachey wanted an in-quiry "into the whole question of whetherthere is anything in charter flying as suchwhich makes it more dangerous.'" APPROACH _1_LIGHTING • This is the general layout of Cork's new airport; the inauguration was on October 16 (see page 668)
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