The Gisborne Herald. IN WHICH IS INCORPORATED “THE TIMES.” GISBORNE, THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 1946. AIRWAYS NETWORK OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21964, 7 March 1946, Page 6

The Gisborne Herald. IN WHICH IS INCORPORATED “THE TIMES.” GISBORNE, THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 1946. AIRWAYS NETWORK OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE

fjHiE success of the civil aviation conference in Wellington was never in doubt. The delegates representing the countries interested in Pacific air routes may have come prepared to thrust forward their individual viewpoints, but it is apparent from the brief review given by Lord Winster. British Minister of Civil Aviation, that complete harmony and the cementing of Commonwealth teamwork were striking results of the discussions. The official report of the conference states that it was decided to recommend to the Governments concerned the establishment of a South Pacific air transport, council with a permanent secretariat, which would be located in Australia, to provide machinery for consultation and to advise the Commonwealth Governments on all matters connected with the co-ordination and development of the civil air transport services in the Pacific. All this would seem to he a satisfactory regional confirmation of the preliminary talks held at. the Commonwealth conference in Montreal in 1944 and at the conference of the Commonwealth Air Transport Council in London last year. So far so good .. . . The next step will he the completion of the arrangements for operating regular services between Sydney and Vancouver and between Auckland and Vancouver and the creation of a working understanding with Canada and possibly the United States. Agreements at Bermuda The international air conference at Chicago did not result in an assurance of full co-operation between Britain and the United States, hut many of the problems left unsolved at that time were eventually smoothed away at the Bermuda meeting of visiting delegates' from the two Governments. Agreement _was reached, for instance, on the future civil use of the military air bases in the West Indies, which were leased to the United States early in the war. The Americans were convinced that this agreement would be very satisfactory to their airlines and civil air authorities and that United States'Army and Navy interests would be adequately safeguarded. Furthermore, the stalemate on fares was broken. Failure on this point would have caused anxiety over the dismal prospect of a price-cutting war, which would first have developed out of the keen rivalry between two American lines—Pan American Airways and American Overseas Airways. The conference emerged from the deadlock with an agreement that fares should be regulated. The routes primarily concerned covered the Atlantic, but it is reasonable to suppose that any Anglo-American agreement on the subject is a good sign for unity over a much larger sphere of operation, including the Pacific. While it. is in the interests of airway passengers and consignors of freight that transport rates should eventually be brought down to a popular level, the development of cut-throat, competition would bring ruin to the airline operators and benefit to nobody. Conspicuous in the Dominion news of late. have been the activities of the British overseas Airways Corporation. Aircraft owned by the corporation recently brought important delegates, including Lord "Winster and Lord Knollys (the organisation’s chairman), to this country and, as a consequence, the increasing air traffic in Auckland has been still further augmented. Busy Days for Auckland

An article published to-day outlining the movements of land planes and dying boats in that- conveniently-placed city conveys some idea of the busy scenes which will be witnessed when .the Pacific air services are in full swing. New Zealand, and particularly Auckland, should eventually be one of the biggest terminals and porfs of call for long-range aircraft serving the Southern Hemisphere. Britain, largely represented by BOAC, is beginning to take under her wing various minor airlines in other parts of the world; these will operate feeder services to junctions on her main trunk routes. The scope in the many countries touched by her 68,000 miles of routes is enormous and the results, in traffic for the main lines and in orders for British aircraft and equipment, may be of great value. Gradually a close association between the main-line operator and the owners of feeder lines is being created. At the moment only BOAC is available to serve as big brother to the smaller interests, hut its routes already touch the Mediterranean countries, as well as lands in Asia and Africa. There is no reason why similar contacts should not be made later by the corporation to operate the British services to other parts of the world. The main consideration is that there should be thorough co-operation between all British Empire airlines and the spreading of a vast network covering all places where British interests can he served. Judging froniYhc published reports of the "Wellington conference good progress towards this goal as far as the Pacific is concerned has been made. People here should be well satisfied with what has been done.