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Aviation History
1964
1964 - 1611.PDF
888 FLIGHT International, 28 May 1964 HOW MUCH LONGER? fifteen years the Independents versus Corporations problem remains unsolved SIR MYLES WYATT, BUA chief, pleads for action in this interview with FRANK BESWICK UNFORTUNATELY maybe, but inevitably, controversy willsharpen in the months ahead on the question of the partwhich independent operators have to play in the British air transport effort. As Sir Myles Wyatt, CBE (chairman of Air Holdings Ltd, comprising British United Airways and associated companies) says below, the problem is still unresolved. To that extent, at any rate, Labour Party spokesmen will agree with him. I put some questions to Sir Myles in the hope that the issues might be clarified; if we are to have controversy, I felt, it would be helpful to have viewpoints rationally stated and clearly understood. I was most grateful to him both for his courtesy and for his frank- ness; and I undertook to make it quite clear that the views which he expressed were held collectively by the large organization of which he is now chairman and were not simply, or necessarily, his personal opinions. It is my own view that independent British companies have made a genuine contribution to civil air transport. There are many communities, including provincial centres in the United Kingdom, which now have air services which they would not have enjoyed had everything depended upon two, or three, national corporations. Nor has there ever been any eagerness on the part of the corpora- tions to experiment with new ideas such as car ferries or coach-air services. And, recalling the stories of how he had enlisted voluntary local aid in the preparation of landing strips on some of the Scottish islands, I personally regret that the enthusiasm of such people as Captain Fresson was lost by the original nationalization measures. Having said that, I must make it equally clear that I have never accepted the argument for, say, a competitive British service across the Atlantic. The fact that the first independent company to be granted a licence to operate such a service promptly made a deal with the relevant corporation supports the doubts which many of us held about the economic commonsense of such competition. And now let us look at such matters in the light of my talk with Sir Myles, who might well be described as the dean of British air transport entrepreneurs. We all agree [I put to him] that it would be in the best interests of British civil aviation if political controversy about the respective virtues of national air corporations and independent operators could be ended for good and all, but, unless we are to have completely unregulated competition—which neither side wants—the problem is to decide where the line of opportunity should be drawn. Anthony Milward said recently that "if there are to be both public and private undertakings, the only clear-cut division in aviation which would eliminate overlapping would be ifBEA ran scheduled services and the independents operated such things as charters, inclusive-tour charters, and even trooping. .. if the independents could only accept this sharing of the cake, then our problems and quarrels would virtually disappear." What would you say to that ? Several things [replied Sir Myles]. For one, BOAC is by far the biggest British charter operator; such an arrangement would mean that all that business would have to be handed over for a start. For another, what a nice cosy business for BEA the internal services This is another of the interviews in which our special contributor Frank Beswick seeks the opinions of leaders of the aircraft manu- facturing and air transport industries on topical subjects. He has kept closely in touch with aviation politics since the time during which he was personally involved in them—notably when, as Labour MP for Uxbridge in 1945-49, he was Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Air Minister; and in 1950-51, when he was Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation. Mr Beswick has also been chair- man of various civil aviation political committees. During the war he served in RAF Transport Command. would be! But, of course, a company cannot live on charter work. Milward knows that, and so do you. Another thing is that he seems to ignore the fact that the 1960 Act has been passed; talk of that kind is completely defying the expressed wish of the Government who, after all, are the corporations' proprietors. But can we look at it from the point of view of a possible new Govern- ment who may not feel the same obligation for the 1960 Act ? What is the argument against their applying this line of demarcation? If that is what they want to do—if they want to put our 6,000 employees out of work—then it's all right with us. We shall at least know where we are. But don't let there be any doubt about the effect of such a policy. The people who will be hurt will be the employees of the independents, who will lose their jobs. I am sure there is no question of anyone wanting to put people out of work; it's a matter of seeking to do what is best for our civil transport effort. I am sure that Fred Lee is right when he says that the working of the 1960 Act is bound to be reconsidered if there is a new Govern- ment. In the light of experience so far, what would you say is the economic justification for continuing the opportunity for British companies other than the corporations to operate trunk route scheduled services ? There are three possibilities open to a Labour Government. I have mentioned the first—the extreme—possibility. You can cut off all the licences and kill us, and then leave all the questions of compensation to be settled. Or you can muddle along as we are doing at present. Or you can accept the fact that we can do a useful job without any expense to the taxpayer, and give us a sensible cut of the scheduled services, which is the only form of regular all-the- year-round business and which acts as a flywheel to keep the business ticking over. Remember, civil air transport is increasing in overall size; we only ask for a share of the increase. Yes, but what I am trying to get at is the precise nature of this "useful" job which you are doing and which the corporations could not do. Frankly, I did not think the exchanges with Fred Lee assisted an intelligent appreciation of the matter. Would it not be helpful if you stated your case, in the light of present experience, so that it could be taken properly into account in any argument on these matters ?
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