Britain’s Post-War Civil Aviation

Northern Advocate, 1 October 1943, Page 3

Britain’s Post-War Civil Aviation

'Special) LONDON, September 30 A recent decision of the Cunard Steamship Company to take power to establish air services after the war, which follows similar decisions by several other shipping companies, is a further indication of the preparation of Britain to take a full part in post-war civil aviation. Until ths Government announces its post-wav policy, interested bodies such as ship- •>. ping companies can do little more than “take power” and be ready for post-war developments. Empire Conference

This policy will be worked out by ' Britain in conjunction with the Dominions with whom discussions have already begun. There is quite a possibility that no final decision will be taken before a meeting of Prime Ministers to which Mr Churchill referred in ’the House of Commons last week. Once an Empire policy is agreed upon it is likely that the next step would be discussions with the United States and Russia. Despite the publicity given post-war civil aviation pate in it after the war and also asking apparently is much the same as the Empire, with an important exception. This is that in Great Britain there are a number of commercial bodies indirectly interested in civil aviation who are aspiring to participate in t after the war and also asking that the British Government should disclose its policy. In ihe United States interest has been displayed by several already well-es-tablished airway companies who likewise are pressing the American Government to declare its intentions.

One of the main questions for Britain is to decide on an organisation or organisations which could provide the best service. There is an existing “chosen instrument,” the British Overseas Airways Corporation, but there arc many who consider that a world-wide service would be too big a proposition for one concern alone to handle. The claim of the steamship companies is that they are well used to problems of transportation and already have in existence world-wide organisations.

It is understood that New Zealand’s interests in this most important question of post-war civil aviation are being closely watched. If New Zealand's Government has not yet .announced its policy, it is obviously not alone in this lack of decision. The “Daily Herald” reports that a conference on civil aviation will shortly be held in London, attended by Dominions’ representatives. International Cc-operation The most encouraging aspect ol British post-war civil aviation plans being advanced in various quarters is common, recognition that international co-operation' must replace unrestrained cut-throat competition in order to prevent frictions capable of causing other wars, writes the London aviation expert of the “New York Times,” who sums up the post-war aviation picture as follows: Not a Big Monster (1) Britain is determined to have a strong commercial air fleet after the war as a means of holding the Empire together and a potential defensive arm; (2) whether there will be a single Government airline or private companies or an international airline still must be decided; (3) rate subsidies and a speed war between various countries is greatly feared; (4) although the British Empire provides possible bases throughout the world, it is felt that this is more than balanced by America’s technological lead and the possible ill-feeling which exclusive use of such bases could engender. “At any rate, England hardly seems like a big monster ready to swallow international air transport after the war.”