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Aviation History
1962
1962 - 2215.PDF
534 FLIGHT International, 27 September 1962 THE VOICE OF LORD BRABAZON LAST week we quoted extracts from Lord Brabazon's address as guest speaker at the International Air Traffic Association's annual general meeting in Dublin. In view of the controversy his forthright remarks aroused, and because quotations taken out of context can mislead, we now record the speech almost in full. The only portion omitted is one in which, beginning with the characteristic remark, "I must appear to you as a sort of human pterodactyl, emerging from the ooze of the primeval past," Lord Brabazon recounted some of his early experiences in aviation. I MUST say 1 was extremely surprised to be honoured by Mr Dempsey in being asked to address you, the most powerful of civil aviation transport gatherings. 1 am an amateur and consequently I can say what I like, because I have no financial connection with any organization. It is true I am chairman of the Air Registration Board; but this is an unpaid appointment, and today I speak for myself and for nobody else. If I had gone into business in the early days 1 might have sailed into Dublin in a superb yacht. But I have no complaints. I have been a looker-on and, as you know, a looker-on sees most of the game. I have been looking on for pretty nearly sixty years, marvel ling at the technical developments brought about in aviation, which have never been equalled in the history of the world ... It has always been my wish to see flight used foi the benefit of mankind, as is done indeed in commercial aviation. But twice has flight been prostituted for war purposes and although 1 admit great developments took place due to war it was not as a war weapon that early pioneers dreamed of flight, and indeed gave their lives. Coming to your organization, I must say about it right at the start that my admiration for it has never passed the bounds of moderation. It is true that an international aviation organization is essential. The director-general in his annual report quotes some words "... the day IATA dies will be the day that civil aviation stops." I cannot wholly subscribe to that. However, it is meanwhile advisable to spend time considering whether IATA can live more usefully. Your guest speaker at the 1955 Conference said: "T have profound admiration for your organization which, in little more than a decade, has reconciled thousands of differences of view into unanimous agreements." The "Aims and Objects" of 1ATA as set out in its Articles of Association are impeccable. Article III includes this paragraph: "To promote safe, regular and economical air transport for the benefit of the peoples of the world, to foster air commerce and to study the problems connected therewith." The intriguing question is how the Association decides what is for the benefit of the world's peoples. Who represents the people ? How are the people to judge that their benefit is the prime con sideration? The fact is that there are a number of the world's peoples who are not completely convinced that all the decisions of 1ATA are in the best interests of the people. Here I cannot help digressing to state that we hope, and have so far believed, that legislation by separate States was to see that nothing immoral or to the disadvantage of the people concerned was indulged in, and for this reason various Acts have been passed in various countries to stop what was considered an immoral practice on ethical grounds. Restrictive practices were condemned by the Sherman Act, but such practices relative to operations, such as fixing of prices, were condoned by abrogation of the Sherman Act by the Civil Aeronautics Act of 1938 as reinacted by the Federal Aviation Act of 1958. Section 414 of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 should be emblazoned on the arms of all international companies, for if it were not for this the whole lot of you now earning American dollars would either be fined substantial sums or you would be in gaol. It is strange and a little cynical and sinister how expediency where it affects governments overrides basic commercial morality. On the question of fares it is true to say that the constructor has contri buted very much to the reduction of cost per seat-mile. To give just one example: the cost on an Elizabethan was 5s 7d whereas the Viscount in 1960 gave a cost of 4s 2d. This improvement in technological efficiency is a bonus given by constructors to operators. Some would say that the greatest contribution of the operators to fare reductions has been through successive reductions in the pitch and width of passenger seats and by putting more passengers into a given square footage of aircraft floor space. Firstly, there is a widely held opinion that in those areas where the public interest has an influence, albeit indirect, through some statutory body (for example, the CAB) or where the public body has a direct responsibility (on domestic and cabotage routes), then the fare levels are generally lower than those agreed by IATA free from such influence. The man in the street is sometimes at a loss to understand the difference between internal rates which are not governed by IATA and IATA rates. As an example, London - Glasgow single tourist, which is 344 miles, costs £5 9s, whilst the comparable fare to Dusseldorf, which is only 311 miles, is £13. I notice with interest the advent of the "spontaneous group"" fares, but if anybody can understand what is a "spontaneous group" he is indeed extremely clever, for I read in answer to an enquiry that a spontaneous group is:— "to be a group formed when all the persons of which it is composed are assembled for purposes excluding that of the formation of a travel group. Its formation must not have been referred to previously in writing of any kind, including personal notes or letters. It must not have resulted in whole or part from solicitation by telephone, from oral solicitation other than that directed simultaneously to the persons assembled for purposes excluding that of the formation of a travel group, or from the use of any other media of public communication including public address systems, radio, telegraph or television. The term does not automatically cover the immediate family of a member of the spontaneous group." This interpretation by IATA is worthy of a high place in any Civil Service jargon. If it is claimed that the agreed fares are not geared to the efficient operator, and that they represent a really good bargain to the travelling public, then the remedy for the criticisms that are heard is simple—let the travelling public know more about how the rates are fixed and what the relevant data are. In short, the public interest, like justice, must not only be served. but must be seen to be served. At the moment the proceedings of the traffic conference are secret; indeed, it is said that any member who dares tell the world's peoples what went on at these conferences and how the fares were fixed for their benefit, would be liable to a maximum fine of $25,000 imposed by the Breaches Commission. Rates Tribunals which fix rates for railways are public enquiries which anybody can attend and follow arguments for and against claims. If international rate agreements could be justified it would be on the basis, I think, of causing the whole industry to be healths and lucrative, but that is not so. 1955 was the bumper year, for 78m dollars was made on an operating revenue of 3,125m dollars—even then no more than 2.6 per cent. These financial results give cause for reflection. Here we have an industry which in varying degrees has been subsidised from public funds; which uses en route facilities and airport facilities
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