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Aviation History
1972
1972 - 0975.PDF
FLIGHT International, 27 April 1972 579 Undue preference or national benefit ? BRITISH CALEDONIAN AIRWAYS hit back last week at criticism from the rest of the British independent airline industry of the allegedly preferential treat ment being accorded to the airline. The text of a critical memorandum to Members of Parliament from a number of other independents was printed in Flight last week (page 519), and some remarks by Alan Snudden, managing director of Dan-Air, were contained in our report of an RAeS symposium (April 13 issue, page 484). BCAL last week described both Mr Snudden's remarks and the contents of the memorandum as "questionable," and made the following statement to Flight: — Criticism centres on the Policy Guidance given by the Government to the Civil Aviation Authority and the so- called special position in which the guidance places BCAL and the State corporations. It is being claimed that other independent airlines are being denied legitimate business opportunities because of "the privileged British Caledonian." The memorandum alleges: "The Minister for Trade is already implementing success fully a policy of severe discrimination against independent airlines operating charter services which may soon result in further airlines ceasing to trade. Many airline leaders are saying that life in aviation was better under the last Government." Let us look at the facts. The formation and continuance of British Caledonian has come about through the very private enterprise which Mr Snudden believes to be destroyed. And Mr Snudden cannot produce a modern Civil Aviation Act which gives greater recognition to all independent airlines than the 1971 Act. BCAL was established by invitation of two Governments after the Edwards Committee had recommended the formation of a "second force" airline which was clearly intended to become a third major British international flag carrier with all which that entails. That is what Edwards meant by "second force." The Edwards Com mittee was critical of a situation which had produced too many relatively weak independent airlines. It was open to Dan-Air and any other independent to pick up the challenge to form such an airline. And it was abundantly clear from the beginning that the develop ment of a major flag carrier would require some years of hard work coupled with some preferential development opportunities. Special opportunities were recommended by Edwards and some of these were spelled out in the Government statements of August 1970 and March 1971. The airline therefore has cause to be surprised that its fellow independents are so belatedly annoyed over the guidance to the CAA which merely reflects all that has gone before. As is fitting to the widely announced and debated national policy of establishing a "second force" airline, we are to receive certain clearly limited—and certainly not automatic—preference during our formative years only; and what is wrong with that? POSTPONEMENT FOR 727s? THE management of Ansett Airlines of Australia and TAA have been discussing the postponement for six months of delivery of the first of the four Advanced Boeing 727-200s which each airline has ordered. The first aircraft for each airline was due next November. Traffic growth has been very low in the first months of this year—Ansett reported that in the last six months of 1971 growth was only 6 per cent and it has dropped badly since the New Year. The two managements are watching closely the general trends of the economy before taking any decision on postponement. The airlines are conscious of the fact that the savings banks have never had such a high per capita level of public savings and that if and when the public decides times are improving the economic dam could burst with consumer spending. The airlines are trying to guess the timing, and hoping The memorandum to MPs states that BCAL "has insuffi cient resources to carry the losses involved in developing new routes." This statement is based on ignorance. Suffice it to quote the Air Transport Licensing Board in its recent North Atlantic decision: "Financial information given us in private and confidential letters from shareholders con vinced us that British Caledonian would have little difficulty in raising the money needed." Mr Snudden complains that other independent airlines are being denied opportunities in the charter market. It would appear from listening to him that BCAL has become a cuckoo in the charter nest. Far from it. Apart from the fact that half of BCAL's revenues derive from charter services, for ten years or more the company and its predecessors have spent more time and energy than any other British airline in developing new charter markets in North America and South-east Asia. Even before the formation of the present airline, Caledonian, as it then was, carried more traffic than other independents on the South-east Asia routes and more than all the other inde pendents put together on the North Atlantic. And British Caledonian (Charter) Ltd's Queen's Award to industry for export services, announced last week, bears witness to the company's performance. Is BCAL independent? Mr Snudden well knows that the airline has been largely instrumental in arranging meetings of independent airline executives to discuss mutual charter problems. At no time has the company's "special preference" been raised but the independents (including BCAL) have clearly received benefit from the meetings. It is wrong to suggest that some British independent airlines may go out of business because of Government policy. The truth is that some independents are feeling the economic squeeze affecting nearly all airlines in the world. Some independents have entered markets with newly acquired and expensive aircraft without regard for proper market research, including the early warnings of the Government's intention to clamp down on abuse of the charter regulations. Add to that the fact of rapidly rising costs and the depressing of rates by both scheduled and charter airlines and the formula for the present difficulties is clear. To be a successful British international flag carrier BCAL must be strong. The Edwards Committee said that you should not send a boy on a man's errand; why then should the Edwards recommendations, the Government's policy and British Caledonian now be emasculated by way of compensation? Lastly, the airline believes that the independent industry should be well pleased that the "second force" was formed. What price the independents without the BCAL spear head, as the corporations move together into a monolithic and otherwise all-powerful position? that an upward trend will occur in time to avoid a postponement. Whatever happens to the first of the 200s, it is very unlikely that delivery times for the later three aircraft for each airline would be affected. The second is due in 1973, the third and fourth in 1974. F.28 NOISE CERTIFICATION FULL compliance with FAR 36 noise standards has been demonstrated by both the Mk 1000 and stretched Mk 2000 versions of the Fokker-VFW F.28, without any additional acoustic treatment to the powerplants. FAR limits for an aircraft of the F.28's weight are: take-off, 93 EPNdB; sideline, 102; and approach, 102. F.28 figures are respec tively 90, 99-5 and 101-2, according to the manufacturer.
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