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Aviation History
1964
1964 - 2062.PDF
83 ' FLIGHT International, 16 July 1964 Kennedy International Airport, New York, with the central complex of individual an picture was taken by the Port of New York Authority itaminals amid an array of runways. This fine business—11,000 passengers estimated this year compared with less than 4,000 last year. Total IATA charter traffic last year was 263,000 compared with 47,000 in 1957. The questioning of Caledonian's witnesses by Mr Forrest of BOAC seemed inconsequential and inconclusive, though he got into his stride when presenting his full case. This was built on three main points: (1) The British Government has always supported the IATA fare structure and the Board has never gone against that; (2) two weekly services at the proposed monopoly low fare would generate little new traffic, all of which would come from BOAC, 50-60 per cent of whose traffic originated in the UK market which Caledonian would be tapping; (3) the Caledonian and Loftleidir services would not be strictly analogous: Icelandic services were 6th Freedom; Caledonian's would be 3rd and 4th Freedom and if granted the Anglo-American bilateral would have to be rewritten. No less an authority than Mr Stephen Wheatcroft appeared in support of BOAC. IATA was used by governments, he said, as the regulatory machine of international civil aviation, and if IATA were thrown overboard all international agreements would fall down. Cross-examined by Mr Bebchick, who is a leading authority on bilaterals and on the Bermuda agreement in particular, Mr Wheat- croft could not say in what way the Bermuda agreement actually specified US insistence on IATA fares. In other words, Caledonian said, there is nothing in the agreement to prevent the operation of sub-IATA fares. Caledonian were also applying for a B licence to operate inclusive tours across the North Atlantic. There was an air of unreality about the whole hearing inasmuch as the ATLB has no authority in the two crucial issues involved: international fares and traffic rights. These are matters specifically reserved unto the Minister. If the Board decides that Caledonian should have the licence, it would have to leave the central feature— the tariff—to the Minister. Whether he approves a sub-IATA tariff or not (and on past form IATA would be undermined by non- IATA over his dead body) any subsequent appeal will go to him for final disposal. He will then find himself solemnly sitting in judg- ment on his own judgment. Although this will be far from amusing, the case was not without its lighter moments. Caledonian caught BOAC's advocate being fed with information by Mr Ryan, Pan American's "leading counsel," and complained strongly. BOAC read a letter they had had from an American who wanted to know how he could get rid of 10,000 Caledonian shares (this led to serious Board questioning about Caledonian's ownership). And Mr Bebchick, to a rather startled Board: "Air transportation is people, gentlemen." But perhaps most comical of all, though it was not mentioned, is the fact that Caledonian's newest DC-7C came from—guess who? GATEWAY TO THE SOUTH A NEW airport at Faro, the capital of Algarve, the southernmost province of Portugal, is expected to open in October. Situated 2£ miles west of the town, the new airport is to have a single runway, 7,380ft long, of bituminous concrete, with a bearing strength LCN of 70. Medical, customs and immigration facilities are to be provided and it is almost certain that TAP, the national airline, will be the first company to operate into Faro. Foreign operators are expected to use the field later, as the southern coast of Portugal becomes better known as a tourist attraction and further resorts along the coast are developed. Faro is some distance from those resorts already favoured by holiday- makers from abroad. US AIRWAY SIMPLIFICATION A NEW simplified two-level airways structure is to be implemented over the whole of the United States mainland on September 17 when the FAA abandons the present three-level system that has been in force since April 1961. Operational experience with the three-layer structure has shown that it complicates air traffic control procedures—particularly during the transition between levels—and requires additional navigation charts and more en route radio frequency changes. The new two-layer system is expected to alleviate many of the problems by eliminating the present intermediate layer. The lower structure will extend from generally 1,000ft above the surface to 18,000ft, and the jet-route structure from 18,000ft to 45,000ft. Previously, the lower level extended to 14,500ft, with an intermediate structure from there to 24,000ft, and the high-altitude jet sector extending upward from 24,000ft.
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