’DROMES NEEDED.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVIII, Issue 10732, 1 November 1928, Page 5

’DROMES NEEDED.

AIR MINISTRY’S REQUEST TO CITIES AND TOWNS. AS NECESSARY* AS RAILWAY STATIONS AND GARAGES. RAPID GROWTH OF AERIAL " TRAFFIC. BRITISH ’PLANES PREFERRED. . • . '• i 4 (Britiph Official Wireless.) (Received Oct. 31, 5.5 p.in.) RUGBY, Oct. 30. A remarkable new step towards the promotion of civil aviation ha® been taken by the Air. Ministry. The Ministry has addressed a letter to the town clerks of the chief provincial cities and towns, asking them to consider the advisability of establishing municipal aerodromes with as little delay as possible. The letter says:—

“The development of internal Hying is almost entirely dependent on the provision of aerodromes at large centres. The provision _ of aerodrome's and auxiliary services by air’ must necessarily, if only on the grounds of capital cost, Be conliued to the terminal points on the trunk, route. The establishment of a network of aerodromes throughout the country to _ serve tho general purposes:of internal flying must devolve on local authorities, who may indeed expect to benefit ultimately by the traffic and commerce which wdl follow the provision of these facilities. It is the opinion of the Air Council that every town of aiiy importance wild sooner or later find it just as essential to possess well-sited aerodromes us it does to-day to posses® railway stations, roads and garages.”

This appeal to municipal authorities is reinforced by a statement of the progress made by the regular British air services. These 1 consist at present of the operation of the cross-Channel air routes and of the route between Cairo and Basra.„ The growth of traffic on cross-Channel air services is showing a. marked increase. in 1927 British machines carried Lb ,066 passengers, compared with 5,206 in 1922. Notwithstanding keen competition by four foreign air lines’ operating to Croydon from various parts or the Continent, it is pointed out that British machines are carrying by far the largest number of . passengers. In 1927 Belgian machines carried 1,490 passengers, French 5,199, German 1,972, and. Netherlands 3,586.