AMBITIOUS PLANS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 69, 23 March 1937, Page 7

AMBITIOUS PLANS.

Empire Air Mail Services

This Year.

AFRICA, ASIA, ATLANTIC

LONDON, March 19

The complete Empire air mail scheme should be in working order at the beginning of next year. It is hoped to start flying on the Durban route soon and on the Singapore section by the end of the year.

In a review of developments in British external civil air communications, the Under-Secretary for Air, Sir Philip Sassoon, in the House of Commons, pointed out that long-range training for the mail services had been begun with two Empire-type flying boats on the Southampton-Alexandria section.*

The complete scheme would provide flying boat services on routes to Australia, India, and South Africa, with additional land 'planes to India, all operated with the new Empire aircraft.

Arrangements were being* made for feeder services connecting with all routes. All first-class, mail matter from Britain to Empire countries would be carried at the flat rate of per half ounce. Plan for Atlantic Service. Among the new British services introduced in 1930, were a weekly mail service between Khartoum and Kano and Lagos, and a temporary service between Penang and Hongkong, pending completion of arrangements for a permanent connection from Hongkong to the Empire trunk routes. It was expected that the Bermuda-New York service would commence during this year.

Concerning the proposed North Atlantic services, three main lines of aircraft development were in hand. Fourengined high-speed land machines were on the point of completion. .With these it was hoped to operate an experimental service before the end of this year. A fleet of specially designed flying boats should be available in 1938, and the possibility of catapulting long-range flying boats was being investigated.