AIR MAIL TRANSPORT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23517, 4 June 1938, Page 13

AIR MAIL TRANSPORT

BRITAIN’S LEAD FIRST QUARTER OF 1938 (From Our Own Correspondent) (By Air Mail) LONDON, May 14. Figures which have became available, covering the first quarter of 1938, show that over 200 tons of letter-mail were air-borne to and from Southhampton in the Imperial flying boats of Imperiai Airways.

scribers: Riverton—C..E. Goodall 1000, E. A. Trail 250, T. E. Trail 250, T. J. Trail 250. Objects; Sawmillcrs and timber merchants. Gaskin and Tayloi Ltd Registered as a private company May 20. Office, Fee street, Invercargill. Capital, £SOO in 500 shares of £1 each. Subscribers: Invercargill—J. R. Gaskin 499, C. G Taylor 1. Objects: Drapers and outfitters.

Nearly 100 tons of mails were flown on the India-Malaya-Australia route, and over 100 tons on the Africa route. At the present time, over 13 tons of letters a week are being carried by air on the Indian and Eastern service, and more than 9 tons on the Africa route. These figures refer only to letters departing from, or arriving at, the air-port at Southampton. The present total average of over 20 tons of mails air-borne every week in the aircraft of Imperial Airways on Empire routes has never yet been Approached by any other air organisation engaged in the transport of mails. This lead has been emphasised by a comparison with air-mails carried by American aircraft operating on United States externa] routes. Figures published recently- in America showed that during the year 1937, the total of mails carried by all external air services operating out of the United States was 94 tons—an average of less than two tons a week.

OIL, CHEMICAL, AND ENGINEERING INDUSTRIES Light on the interesting question—which among our big industries now make the greatest use of air travel? —was thrown by an official of Imperial Airways who handles the company’s bulk travel scheme —the scheme by which firms pay a lump sum to cover an ensuing period of air transport on European routes, receiving special vouchers that are exchanged for tickets as required, and obtaining by this system an appreciable percentage reduction on ordinary fares. Statistics extending over a con- ; siderable period show that among i modern industries there are three which are making a large and grow- , ing use of passenger air travel in ; the carrying out of their various operations. One is the chemical : industry. Another is the oil industry : —as represented by big petrol dis- • tributing organisations. A third is the engineering industry. Engineers, ! technicians and sales’ experts, representing these three big industries,

now find air travel an immense boom when making continental journeys. It enables them, in a matter of days, to complete journeys which might necessitate weeks of travel by , surface routes. Another fact that emerges, from an examination of the ; figures available, is the use made of air travel, by big stores and fashion ; houses in sending out buyers to 1 cities throughout the Continent. PHEASANTS’ EGGS AND CHICKS A feature of air-freight transport at the present time is the dispatch ■ to the Continent of large numbers ; of pheasant eggs and chicks. During April and May, Imperial Airways will carry for one well-known pheasant farm approximately 50,000 i eggs and 5000 baby pheasants. Pheasant chicks leaving London by air in the morning are in the fields of rearers on the Continent that i same day. The acceleration of i Empire air services is stimulating the ■ pheasant egg trade with countries throughout the Empire.

DURBAN’S PERMANENT AIR PORT , Active steps are being taken to t provide Durban with a fine permanr ent marine air-port. The equipment t is to include a specially-designed floating dock which is to be sent J out from England. A large sum is f to be devoted to making the air-port i completely up-to-date. In addition, ) there-are to be large hangars, and every facility for maintenance and- , overhaul. Soil dredged and exs cavated is to be used on land t reclamation work necessary on the i site for hangars and workshops, and 3 also to provide a mole 650 feet long. I Flying-boat passengers will alight at 3 a jetty forming part of this mole, i Crawfish, or rock lobsters, a? ) I received in England from South . Africa, are finding a new European 7 market, thanks to air transport. Th? 3 other day a special consignment t handed to Imperial Airways, was E rushed over from Croydon tc j Czechoslovakia, reaching its destina--3 tion so quickly that a. further antf larger order followed.