FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1962
1962 - 1118.PDF
44 FLIGHT International, 12 July 1962 AIR COMMERCE... CAPITOL TAKE RIDDLE'S ARGOSIES CAPITOL AIRWAYS of Nashville, Tennessee, have, as expected, signed a contract with Whitworth Gloster to take over the operation of the Argosies—actually five of the seven aircraft concerned— hitherto operated by Riddle Airlines. The aircraft will continue to operate on USAF Logair work, though on a revised pattern calling for 3m aircraft miles a year compared with about 5m operated by Riddle. Capitol's Logair contract dates from July 1, the first day of the Logair financial year. What is described by Hawker Siddeley as "a smooth transfer" has been made possible by the co-operation of Riddle Airlines, who have supplied some crews until Capitol can complete their pilot-training programme. Capitol actually received their first Argosy for crew-training early in June. Negotiations are proceeding with another American operator for the sale of the two remaining aircraft. It will be recalled that Hawker Siddeley bought back Riddle's seven Argosies in May, for reasons reviewed in Flight International for May 24, page 814. LUFTHANSA AND AIR UNION MEMBERS of Germany's Social Democrat party were recently given by Herr Hans M. Bongers of Lufthansa an account of some of the problems that are facing Air Union. In a report of the meeting in the German aviation paper Flugwelt the problems are listed as: (1) the extent of state control; ©the treatment of trafficnot entered by the carriers in Air Union; (3) the situation and competi tion of subsidiary companies; (4) the precise form of the association of UAT/TAI with Air Union. All these questions, Herr Bongers is reported to have said, were still the subject of discussion. Flugwelt reports that "a fundamental statement" on Air Union by the French Government is still awaited. The German Government meanwhile is '"supporting all efforts towards the creation of this consortium." Negotiations are at present blocked, it is said, by "personal changes" within the French Government. Inspecting the prototype Short Skyvan at the manufacturer's Belfast factory recently were two senior officials of Australia's national domestic airline TAA—Copt J. Chapman, assistant general manager (third from right), and Mr R. Meehan, UK and European manager (right). Others in the picture are Mr R. F. Stephen, Bristol Aeroplane Co's Australian representative (left); Mr M. P. Howard, Short's sales and contracts manager (second from left); and Mr F. H, Robertson, Short's chief of special projects (second from right) Birmingham is rightly proud of its recently opened airport terminal, the elegance of which is apparent in this view of the main concourse. The passengers are waiting to proceed to HM Customs US LOSS AGAIN THIS YEAR? MANY observers of the US domestic air transport scene have assumed that the heavy losses of 1961 were due to (1) the so-called jet transition and (2) the slow-down in traffic growth caused by the economic recession. But, says Mr George Hitchings, vice-presidem of American Airlines, the US airline industry is now in the final stages of the jet transition; and while traffic has increased at leasi 11£ per cent each month over the 1961 levels, and fares went up three per cent on February 1, there is likely to be another loss for the trunk-line industry in 1962. So far this year, says Mr Hitchings, earnings have shown no improvement over 1961 except for February, when operations in the same month last year were curtailed by a strike. He believes that in future revenues are not likely to rise as rapidly as in recent years and that passenger traffic probably will not increase more thun six per cent a year on average. He also feels that fare increases will be more difficult. Mr Hitchings' answer: "Mergers should be encouraged, but onl> where significant cost savings can be realized while still preserving competition over segments where density of traffic permits such competition on an economical basis." He notes that not since 1955 has the US airline industry obtained the 10i per cent return on investment recognized by the CAB as a reasonable average. In 1961 the return was only 1.4 per cent—with a loss for shareholders of $34m after taxes. SIR BASIL ON THE VC10 AMONG many congratulatory comments on the VCIO's first flight (Flight International last week and pages 53-55 this week) were the remarks made by Sir Basil Smallpeice, managing director of the first customer-airline. He said: "1 offer BOAC's warmest congratulations to Vickers and ever\- one concerned with this historic flight. In the field of the big jets. the VC10 is the only really new development between the earliest subsonic jets and the first supersonic airliners, which are not yet in sight. It will give the airline and the travelling public a new standard of passenger comfort, and operating performance, that only rear- mounted engines and a clean wing can provide. Before long we may well come to find that the beautiful lines of this new British aircraft will make present types look old-fashioned. "BOAC look forward," said Sir Basil, "to putting the VC10 into service first on the North Atlantic in early 1964." NO AFFINITY REQUIRED THOUGH TCA were severely disappointed with the results of their experimental low fare structure last year, the airline is nevertheless not afraid to try new ideas. Now available to passengers travelling together in groups of ten or more between the same points on domestic Canadian services are economy-class fares 25 per cent lower than the regular economy-class tariff. The interesting point is that there are no restrictions as to group affinity. Any ten passengers who wish to purchase tickets in advance on a one-way or return basis are eligible. They all have to travel
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
