PRODUCTION OF AIRLINERS

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27210, 30 November 1953, Page 3

PRODUCTION OF AIRLINERS

1 ambitious plans IN BRITAIN ORDERS from all over the world / . (From a Reuter Correspondent) LONDON. Britain is planning a full-scale bid the world's airliner business next j, with new types of jet and projet transport. Twelve months now her production of these airshould be at the rate of about 150 ■ yearSince May last year when the 500 _,, es an hour Comets first went into "ijo- service, Britain has nearly Srhjd the top speed of passenger air Lj Ve L These aircraft flying more than XJooo miles a week on British overroutes have since been Implemented by the propeller-jet VisUant flown by British European Airwys and Air France. Between them, a- Comet and the Viscount, the only ■Jnraft of their kind in regular Jgyice, have created new standards m almost tireless travel. Ihe pioneering fleets, however, Jmittedly have been small. The total jComets including those of Air Mice. Union Aeromaritime, British Overseas Airways Corporation and the Jeyal Canadian Air Force is only *6ut 20 so far and only about a -carter of the Viscounts a'ready gdered are yet in service. The pictu-e next year will be wv-kedlv dil erent. A giant newcomer aill make its debut—the 100 seater •repeller jet Britannia which can flv Jie Atlantic non-stop at a cruising -Kai of 360 miles an hour. British ‘ overseas Airways Corporation has ordered more than 30 of these, which . nth Comets, will operate two globeorcling services, one by a northern route and one by a southern. Delivery mH begin late in 1954. Soon Comets will be turned out on dime production lines instead of one . c now and by the end of next year tbe new Series 11, faster than the original, with its four Rolls Royce Avon jets, will be rolling out at the rate of about 36 annually. The production of Viscounts will by then be about 100 a year. Airlines Walting Many world airlines are waiting tor be delivery of Comet u. They include British Overseas Airways Corporation, Air France, Union Aeromaritime of France, Panair do Brazil, Venezuelan 1 Airways, Japan Airlines. British Comnonwealth Pacific Airlines, and, it is Waved, Canadian Pacific Airlines Others have booked the 58-Comet in a longer range jetliner. The British tanpany has ordered 10 and Pan American Airways three with the tption on a further seven. Air’ India j: international is also among the clients far Comet 111. Begotiations in progress involve a total at about 100 Comets of various types apart from more than 50 al- , sidy either built or in construction. Of M Viscounts already ordered a ■ r feet. of 15 ip destined for Trans- - Coada Airlines. The remainder are hr big operators in various parts of Se world. Orders for the Britannia ira believed to be already not far bffit of the 50 mark. Air passengers can now fly by jetEor propeller jetliner from Lonto Paris to the main European ils—Rome. Athens. Copenhagen s nd Stockholm and other cities ini' boding Zurich, Geneva and Frankfurt. 1 Facounts also serve Nicosia (Cyprus). Comets run regular services to the I zbanon, Egypt and the Sudan, Iginda, Northern Rhodesia, South Iftica, French Senegal, French tentorial Africa, Pakistan, India. Mon. Burma, Siam, Singapore id Japan. Both British and Brazilian Hines e starting Europe-South nerica services by Comet next year.