CIVIL AIR LINES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21946, 14 February 1946, Page 7

CIVIL AIR LINES

SATISFACTORY PACT BRITAIN AND AMERICA MAIN OBJECTIVES REALISED (9 a.m.) LONDON, Feb. 13. A statement on behalf of the Government was made in the Plouse of Lords and House of Commons, says the British-American air agreement reached at Bermuda represented an achievement satisfactory to both countries. The Minister of Civil Aviation, Lord Winster, delivered a statement in the House of Lords, and the Parliamentary Secretai'y to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Mr. Ivor Thomas, in the House of Commons. Lord Winster said the United States desire .to avoid regulations that .might be construed as restrictive and Britain’s desire to ensure that international air services are developed on an orderly basis, eliminating wasteful competition and uneconomic subsidies had been reconciled. Agreement on Fares

An agreement on fares between the .two countries would be achieved in two stages. As the first stage, it was agreed to recognise for one year the status of the International Air Transport Association, representing the operators. The United States had undertaken to seek legislation to empower the Civil Aeronautics Board to control routes. This was a considerable advance on the position before .the Bermuda conference. Machinery for close and continued collaboration between the two Governments would be established for regulation of the capacity employed on the various routes. The statement quoted the agrement on the “fifth freedom,” and says it is understood that air carriers are to retain as the primary objective the provision of a capacity adequate to the traffic demands between the carrier’s

own country and the country of ultimate destination. The carrier's right to disembark on the route is to be related, first, to traffic requirements between the country of origin and the countries of destination: secondly, the requirements of the through air lines’ operation and, thirdly, the .traffic requirements ox the areas through which the air line passes after taking account of the local and regional services. Sovereignty Retained The text of the agreement relating to the use of leased bases for civil purposes was initialled. When the final .text of the agreement was available it would be published as a White Paper. “Neither side, of , course, obtained recognition of ev.ery point of its policy, but the main objectives of both countries were achieved,” he said. Mr. Thomas, replying to a question whether .the Government had signed away the sovereignty of any bases, said he could give an assurance that this was not so The Dominions were kept informed of ail stages and the agreements would be submitted to the Dominions for approval "before they were accepted. American Congressional approval of the agreement was necessary only on the question of rates.