PROGRESS IN AVIATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20084, 23 October 1928, Page 7

PROGRESS IN AVIATION.

IMPERIAL AIRWAYS' SUCCESS. POSSIBLE AUSTRALIAN TRIPS. [FKO.U OUll OWN COHRESi'OKDEKT.] ■ LONDON. Sept. 13. Announcing the resignation of his directorship of Imperial Airways, Limited, be- N cause he had not the tune needed, Sir Erie Gcddes shed new light upon the company's past and future policy and upon the terms of the now subsidy agreement with the Government. He pointed out that the subsidies to be earned by the company now amounted to nearly £2.500,000. Under existing agreements £600,000 remained to be earned. Speaking of tho development of flyingboat services, Sir Erin said that tho Air Ministry, in co-operation and consultation with Imperial Airways, Limited, had made a notable stride in the development of tho marine sido of civil aviation. "I think,-" ho continued, "that in the near future wo shall be prepared to tackle .tho long oversea flights which will tako us from Singapore to Australia. Civil aviation can, undoubtedly, in my opinion, within tho lifetime of most of us, become on these great Empire routes an independent and profitable form of transportation and saver of time.

"In our highly-developed world there is no truer saying in connection with civil aviation than that 'time means monoy,' and if wo save our customers' money tlioy will bo prepared to pay us something moro than mere transportation rjites for tho saving we enable them to mako. Tho groat mission of Imperial Airways, as I see it, is on Empire routes." Speaking of the company's policy, Sir Eric said that, in safety, Imperial Airways must lako no chances nor commercially in unfigureil risks. Their board had firmly refused to bo led bv argument or urged by criticism into gambles of any kind, and ho challenged their record and reputation as second to nono in civil aviation to-day. Civil aviation would conic truly into its own when the journey from London to Australia was a regular commercial service.

Reviewing the past year, Sir Eric said: "The remarkable regularity of our European services continues to improve. In the Middle East during the whole of the year tinder review your service has only once failed to inako the advertised connection with tho mail steamer and has never failed to complete a service. The traffic rovenue on the European services is now 60 per cent, higher than when wo met here two years ago." Tho financial results for the four years have been:—First year, £15,000 loss; second year, £20,000 loss; third year. £II,OOO profit; fourth year, £72.500 profit. Tho percentage of scheduled flights completed has increased from 75 per cent, in the first year to 93 per cent, in tho fourth year. The passengers carried during the four years have been•First year, 11.170; second year, 11.529; third year, 16,807; fourth year. 25,313. In over three million miles flown there has been only one fatal accident amongst Ihe 64,819 fare-paying passengers carried.