AIR MAIL TO INDIA

Gisborne Times, Volume LXIX, Issue 10860, 2 April 1929, Page 5

AIR MAIL TO INDIA

SEVEN DAY SERVICE

PASSENGER FARE £l3O.

SUCCESSFUL INA UGU RATION

(British Official Wireless.)

RUGBY, March' 30. The longest air service in the world, and the biggest stop yet taken by British civil aviation, was inaugurated to-day witli the opening of the British to India weekly mail and passenger service of British airways. The journey from Croydon to Karachi will take seven days, compared with J.G days required, even with the fastest combination of boat and train on the ordinary route. Tito total length of the air line is 5000 miles.. From London to Basle, Switzerland, the mail is borne in a big three-engined Armstrong-Siddeley Argosy air liner. From Basle it is carried by night mail train to Genoa. At Genoa it goes aboard an all-metal Sliortt Calcutta air boat, which flies with it to Alexandria. Here it is transferred to a 1500 horse-power J)o Haviland Hercules Empire type of aeroplane, which by stages bears it by way of Bagdad and Basra down the Persian Gulf to Karachi. To organise this new airway, special aeroploncs and flying boats have been designed and built. Harbors for marine aircraft and landing places for aeroplanes have been surveyed and established and a chain of wireless and meteorological stations has been installed. The aircraft will be in wireless touch with inter-communicating ground stations throughout the whole journey by means of the latest Marconi apparatus.

The London-Karachi fare will be £l3O, including hotels and meals, London-Bagdad £9l), and LondonEgvpt £BB. The surcharge on air mail letters is only 6d.

United Press Assn, by El. Tel. Copyriebt (Australian Press Assn.—United Service) (Received April 1, 7.35 p.m.) ROME, March 31 The Indian air liner lias arrived.