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Aviation History
1963
1963 - 0693.PDF
FLIGHT International, 9 May 1963 665 Mr John T. Gething has retired as Cathay ^4| Pacific's engineering director. Well known in |i| the aviation world in the Far East, he has been in Hong Kong with Cathay Pacific for the past B^r 2 years n -* of more than one strong US carrier, and maintaining a competitive structure which strikes a balance between monopoly operation and excessive competition, is sound, possible and necessary." The report goes on to say that the policy of direct point-to-point competition between US competitors in the light of foreign com petition "undoubtedly raises a number of difficult questions . . . and the service pattern most in the public interest must continue to be considered and determined on a case-by-case basis." The conclusion, it seems, is that the US does not want a chosen international instrument, yet nor does it want excessive internecine competition between US international flag carriers. This seems to be an endorsement of the CAB staff study of a year ago in the "Trans atlantic Renewal Case," a study which proposed a re-alignment of PanAm and TWA routes around the world. This case has recently, it is significant to note, been ordered full steam ahead by a CAB which, like everyone else, sees no end to the Hughes-TWA litigation on which the PanAm-TWA merger depends. Other important points from the summary:— Bilateral agreements The concept that agreements should allocate shares of traffic to particular countries "would surely restrict the growth of international aviation and would result in endless bickering among nations as to their proper share of traffic. It is totally foreign to our basic trade policies. The demand for swift, safe passage, not forced flag flying, should determine the services offered." Bermuda agreement The US supports the Bermuda capacity principles, which prohibit determined limits on capacity. The Bermuda principles "accommodate, to the general good, the legitimate economic interests of all nations." The US will oppose "both arbitrary capacity reductions and the stretching of [Bermuda] principles to the point of abuse." But the Americans will take the initiative to seek agreement on a "reasonable interpretation" of the Bermuda principle of "ex post facto" reviews of traffic carried. The summary does not preclude the denunciation of bilateral agreements by the US if Bermuda principles are abused. Rates Of special interest at the present time, and probably motivating the CAB's attitude on North Atlantic fares, is the passage on IATA fares. The IATA mechanism "should be main tained" as the most practical one that can be achieved. It is recommended that Congress should adopt legisation to give the CAB power to control rates to and from the US. [At present the CAB does not have, unlike other governments, the powers to approve foreign rates, only those of its own carriers. ] More govern ment-to-government discussions are recommended, and disapproval of IATA fares "if they are clearly unreasonable." US acceptance of IATA is "predicated upon strict adherence by carriers to their 1ATA agreements." Air cargo "The US will explore the feasibility of obtaining an extremely short-term agreement with European countries and Canada" to provide for the reciprocal exchange of cargo traffic rights. (This statement may smooth the current British efforts to obtain non-scheduled transatlantic cargo rights.) Supporting facilities Pending the development of an "equitable system of user charges" the US will refrain from imposing user charges on international carriers and will "strenuously oppose unfair or excessive charges by other nations." Summing up, the statement defines the aim of US air transport Poiicy as: "To develop and maintain an expanding, economically and tecnnologically efficient international air transport system best adapted 'o the growing needs of the free world, and to assure air carriers of the United States a fair and equal opportunity to compete in world Nation markets." ONE-ELEVENS FOR AER LINGUS FOR some months now there has been no secret of the Irish airline's interest in the BAC One-Eleven, and now it is announced that a firm order for four, worth about £4m. has been placed with the British Aircraft Corporation. The aircraft will be delivered in the first and second quarters of 1965. One of the considerations uppermost in the minds of Aer Lingus in their choice of a Viscount jet-replacement has been all-weather landing capability. This caused, it will be recalled, some controversy between the builders of the One-Eleven and of the Trident Flight International, March 21, pages 388-389). Mr. J. F. Dempsey. general manager of Aer Lingus. said last week that provision for future all-weather landing is being built into the One-Eleven. This order brings total One-Eleven sales to 45 aircraft for seven operators. Nitto Accident At least nine people were killed or missing, and two injured, when an unspecified aircraft owned by Nitto Aviation of Osaka crashed about 250 miles west of Tokyo on May 1. Air Afrique Accident An Air Afrique DC-6 crashed some minutes after taking off from Douala for Lagos on May 4. Of the 48 passengers and seven crew on board, there were hopes that two passengers might have survived. Cruzeiro Accident A Convair of Cruzeiro do Sul crashed into a house soon after taking off from Sao Paulo for Rio de Janeiro on May 3, after a reported engine failure. According to unconfirmed messages. 28 passengers and four crew were killed and the radio officer and 12 passengers injured. VC10 Training at Shannon BOAC and Shannon airport authori ties have concluded a five-year agreement under which all local flying training for captains, co-pilots and engineers of the corpora tion's Standard and Super VClOs will be centred on Shannon. Something like 20,000 landings, it is estimated, may be involved. King Saud's Comet Found Part of the tail of King Saud's Comet 4C. lost on March 20, was found in snow in the Italian Alps at Valleta about two miles from Terme de Valdieri, near the French border, on April 28. It is believed that the rest of the wreckage is under 30ft of snow having, it is thought, been covered by an avalanche shortly after the crash. This was the damage caused by a bird, believed to be a seagull, which was sucked into the Rolls-Royce Conway of a TCk DC-8 shortly after taking off from Prestwick for Montreal. The aircraft jettisoned fuel and returned to London on three engines
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