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Aviation History
1963
1963 - 1255.PDF
•> • • - ng of the problems of aircraft noise will considerably influence heir annoyance; for example, it seems that those who think that oo little has been done ... tend to be more annoyed than other people." The committee considers it important for the Ministry of Aviation "to continue and to reinforce" their efforts to try to xplain the facts about aircraft and their noise to the public. This was, perhaps, the reason for the Ministry's unexpected publication, on the eve of the Wilson report's publication, of noise- monitoring test results. ALISON MUNRO IS LEAVING ALISON MUNRO is leaving the Ministry of Aviation to become high mistress of her old school, St Paul's. This news comes as a great surprise to the British airline industry, whose international activities have depended so much on her behind-the-scenes skill and diplomacy in the negotiation of traffic rights. It is understood that she is due to take up her new post in January. Mrs Munro, who is* 49, is the Ministry's expert in perhaps the one and only job at which the Ministry is the authority. In most if not all other fields the Ministry is not, and does not try to be, the expert. But in the matter of traffic rights, which are the stuff of national sovereignty, the Ministry is the power; and the trustee of that power has been Alison Munro and her staff. She is also one of the Ministry's small select band of creative thinkers on civil avia tion, and probably not much happens without the benefit of her opinion. She knows the history, theory and practice of bilateral air agreements backwards, and obviously such knowledge, not to mention her negotiating ability and charming femininity, are sure to be missed. Alison Munro has been with the Ministry since the war, during which her husband was killed on RAF service. CAMBRIAN'S HARD FIGHT ELSEWHERE in this issue is a first-hand report on the transforma tion of Cambrian Airways from a minor independent carrier to Britain's second-largest independent scheduled airline. The Welsh airline has been taking over BEA's Irish Sea network; but can it, as it has claimed, operate these routes—as BEA were unable to do —at a profit? Can the airline contain the high costs of the rapid expansion that has been the undoing of many an independent in recent years? Perhaps it is too early yet to say for sure, but in his recent annual report Mr John Morgan, the chairman, says that in coping with an almost three-fold increase in the estimated number of passengers, heavy development costs have necessarily been incurred. Mr morgan goes on to say: "Results so far for 1963 have been marred by unusually severe weather conditions, and it is too early yet to 8lve a firm indication of 1963 prospects other than to say that cer tain routes are producing disappointing results." If profitability is to be maintained, he says, everyone in Cambrian must intensify his efforts to peg costs and stimulate revenue. Cambrian are previously on record as having said that among 'he factors that will help them to run their new routes at a profit are (1) puot utilization (where they believe there to be room for tremendous improvement" on BEA experience); (2) aircraft ^''tzation; (3) ground staff utilization; (4) lower depreciation; and |5) lower overheads. It would be unreasonable to expect Cambrian to be making a profit in their first year of the new expansion. If their losses are proving higher than anticipated, it is not for lack of effort, and the recent serious illness at such a crucial period in the company's development of the managing director, Wg Cdr Elwin, must have been a severe blow. On the subject of future plans, Mr Morgan says it is his opinion that Cambrian must consolidate in the areas where it is already established. This policy, it seems, is reflected in the company's recent application to the Air Transport Licensing Board for a daily scheduled service between London and Liverpool. The Liverpool- based operator Starways (which is still the subject of persistent reports of a competitive ££m-£f m take-over bid by Cambrian or Cunard Eagle) will almost certainly object to this application on the grounds that for some time they have been asking for permission to operate at a greater frequency on the route. On the inclusive-tour side of the business, Cambrian have applied for services between Liverpool/Cardiff/Bristol and Nice/Corsica/ Sardinia, and Rimini, and increase to a weekly frequency from Cardiff and Bristol to Nice, Rimini and Valencia. Mr Morgan pays warm tribute to the loyalty and efforts of the managing director, Wg Cdr L. B. Elwin, and his staff during the difficult expansion period. Mr B. J. T. Callan, former operations and traffic manager of the company, has been elected to the board and appointed assistant managing director. Another recent Cam- brain management.change is the handling of all the company's advertising, publicity and Press relations by Mr P. F. Lewindon, the commercial and sales manager. Alitalia on PAA's Thrift Fare Alitalia say they favour reduced fares, but believe that proposals like the recent thrift fare of PAA Flight International, July 4, page 5) should be "presented and backed only during the pertinent I AT A tariff conferences," other wise such proposals tend to be "meaningless and appear as propaganda." Itavia's Heralds Doing Well The expanding Italian airline Aerolinee Itavia, who are operating two Herald 200s, reports that every flight until mid-September is completely booked on services from Gatwick and Manchester to Venice and Rimini. The Heralds are also said to be "very popular" on the Italian domestic routes which they serve. BO AC To Operate Stand-by-Fares? BOAC have asked the ATLB for permission to operate stand-by fares on the London - Glasgow (Prestwick) sector of North Atlantic services. This application is to rationalize the BOAC domestic tariff with that of BEA. The corporation has also been making efforts recently to advertise its 707 and Britannia flights between London and Manchester and Glasgow (Prestwick). Fourth Aircraft Movement Census From July 22-28 the Ministry of Aviation will carry out a further census of civil aircraft movements in United Kingdom airspace. This is the fourth in the series which have been held at six-monthly intervals to provide information for the planning of future air traffic control services. Every civil air craft airborne in the airspace during the period is asked to record its position, height and type of activity every hour.
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