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Aviation History
1968
1968 - 0217.PDF
international, 15 February 1968 211 AIRTRANSPORT Transatlantic Hearings: Final Stages BEFORE THE ATLB ADJOURNED on the twelfth day of thetransatlantic hearing there was a crumb of comfort forthose who think these things take a long time. Mr L. N. Bebchick, Caledonian's American lawyer, revealed that a case such as this could take two to three years to complete its course before the CAB. The rest of the day had been taken up with four witnesses on behalf of Caledonian. The first was the chief executive of the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, Mr Booth. The Chamber supported the establishment of transatlantic air services from Birmingham. He said that an independent study showed the Birmingham area as being second only to London as the point of origin of dry cargo exported from the UK, yet it had no air services on which to ship it direct. The ability of Caledonian to operate transatlantic schedules from the point of view of operational capability and financial strength are what their case is really about, however. Mr A. G. Bartlett, the company's planning manager, gave evidence, sup- ported by extensive "exhibits," of his projected North Atlantic programme for the next five years, on the assumption that the applications are granted. Three 32OCs are to be introduced by the end of 1968 and a fourth aircraft will enter the operation by the early seventies. This programme revealed a gradual reduction in charter operations as the scheduled services developed. In his examination, Mr P. Webster, oc, for Eagle, cast doubt on Caledonian's ability to achieve the required utilisation of over 4,000hr a year with the 32OCs. Eagle expect only 3,5OOhr from theirs and BO AC were proud to average lO^hr per day. On the following day, however, Mr Bebchick had a computer- produced list, received overnight from Boeing, detailing ten American operators of 320s who achieved well over 4,000hr per aircraft in 1967. In examining Capt S. A. Calder, Caledonian's operations and maintenance director, the two objectors returned to the point of utilisation in the light of the airline's maintenance arrangements, which are based on a contract with Sabena involving all checks and a large part of the spares holding being in Brussels. This was by way of a preliminary to the appearance of Mr Adam Thomson, Caledonian chairman, who was going to have to provide the answers to many vital ques- tions. He had to wait until the thirteenth day of the hearing and before this, at the end of the 12th day, Mr Bebchick made a significant plea to the ATLB. He asked them to consider the benefits to the UK of having an operator on the North Atlantic with unrestricted charter rights and willing to take advantage of the fact. This would be the case if Caledonian were licenced as a scheduled carrier because the restrictions of a CAB charter operator's certificate would then no longer apply. They would be in a position to carry much of the traffic between North America and Europe at present taken by foreign companies. When Mr Thomson finally arrived in the witness chair he was immediately asked why the company wanted scheduled services when they would apparently adversely affect its profit- able charter business. In reply, he said that while the airline could exist on charter work for the foreseeable future he As scheduled, the initial 80min flight of the first production BAC Qne-£/even 500 (G-AVMH) for BEA was made on February 7 from Hum, Bournemouth—ten weeks ahead of the originally planned date
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