CIVIL AVIATION

Greymouth Evening Star, 30 October 1944, Page 6

CIVIL AVIATION

EMPIRE CONFERENCE DECISION. RUGBY, October 28. The British Commonwealth air conversations ' in Montreal ended last night when a joint statement was issued saying that the delegations had agreed to establish a standing Commonwealth Air Transport Council. The statement says that the conversations between officials representing Australia, Canada, India, Newfoundland, New Zealand, South Africa, Southern Rhodesia, and Britain covered. a wide range of subjects. There was unanimity of view regarding the paramount importance of joining with other nations of the world in the immediate creation of an effective international air authority through the medium of a permanent international air convention to be signed in the interests of peace and security and air development. Nothing done at this conference impairs the freedom of action • e res P e ctive Governments at the Chicago conference. There was also unanimity of view regarding the desirability of'establishing air services on routes connecting

different parts of the Commonwealth! and the Empire which would provide) a complete system of air communica-i '• tions. Charts were prepared of the routes which the Commonwealth 1 countries might wish to operate. I " There was agreement on the desir-, T ability of establishing a standing : ? Commonwealth air transport council! * to provide for consultation and exchange of information among mem- | • bers of the Commonwealth and the; ' Empire. | ’ I The statement after saying that | ' I various technical reports were to be j •’ I submitted to the respective Govern- . ’ ments for study and review adds that! 2 • all the delegations agreed that the! 2 ■ conversations had been a success and; 1 ■ of the greatest benefit. They proceed- i ' I ed throughout on the basis of a com- I ' i mon desire among the British Com- i e ! monwealth countries to the H maximum contribution to an inter-1 2 1 national system of economical and I r i efficient air services. i s ■ A Montreal correspondent says that! ■’ one of the big problems discussed at J s the conference related to establishing' new British Commonwealth services! 1 over routes not covered by existing 1 “ air services. The principal route be-

; ing studied is across the Pacific from I Canada to Australia with connections i to India and other parts of the Orient, i The vice-president of Trans-Canada Air Lines (Mr. O. T. Larsen i ex- ; pressed the opinion that three, or four i years after the war round trip fares ' between Canada and Britain might be i as low as 100 dollars. : RUSSIAN ALOOFNESS. : j LONDON, October 29. I Russia will not participate in the I Chicago civil aviation conference says I a Tass statement quoted by Moscow ; radio. The statement gave the par- ■ ticipation of such countries as Switz- ; erland, Portugal and Spain, “which, • for many years, have carried oh a ! policy hostile to the Soviet Union,” as the reason for the decision.