EMPIRE AIR MAILS

Greymouth Evening Star, 28 May 1937, Page 5

EMPIRE AIR MAILS

SUGGESTED SERVICES. [BRITISH OFFICIAL WIRELESS] RUGBY, May 26. A 15 years’ scheme of Empire air mails is outlined in a White Paper, which reveals that under the projected agreement, between the Government and Imperial Airways subsidies payable on a decreasing scale will aggregate £9,000,000, but will be subjected to various adjustments. Provision is made for nine services weekly to and from Egypt, five to and from India, three each to and from East Africa and the Straits Settlements, and two each to and from South Africa and Australia.

The scheme is confidently expected to ensure the due maintenance of British prestige in world air transport. It will also represent a striking development in the form of the longdistance carriage of first-class mails, by air at a flat postage charge of lid a’half ounce for letters and a penny for postcards, which for cheapness has never bean approached anywhere in the world.

Both flying-boat and land aeroplane services will operate from England. The aircraft will have a maximum speed of about 200 miles an hour, and a. commercial payload of roughly three tons and a quarter. It is stipulated that they shall he replaced after not more than seven years by improved aircraft and Imperial Airways will be required to undertake to carry all firstclass mail between the participating countries, which in the provisional list number 28. The Government will provide free aerodromes and landing areas in British territory in Egypt, Sudan and Iraq.

ANGLO-AUSTRALIAN DEAL

CANBERRA, May 27

The air mail service between Australia and London will begin in January, 1938. It will provide for an initial schedule of ten days, with a progressive reduction to seven days. The postage rate will be reduced irom 1/6 to 5/- a half-ounce. The Commonwealth subsidy will be a maximum of £50,000 a year.

New Empire flying-boats will be used on trial for two years on the Australian section of the route from Sydney to Singapore. 'l’he Acting-Prime Minister (Dr. Earle Page) announced that an agreement had been finally reached between the Government of the United Kingdom and Australia.