AIR TRANSPORT.

Otago Witness, Issue 3994, 30 September 1930, Page 25

AIR TRANSPORT.

DEVELOPMENT IN AMERICA.

LINES ALL PRIVATELY OWNED. AUCKLAND, September 28.

Practically any municipality of any consequence in the United States now has its airport, according to Mr E. P. Howard, Trade Commissioner in the Department of Commerce in the United States, who arrived in Auckland to-day from Los Angeles by the steamer Golden Cloud. Mr Howard intends staying for three weeks in New Zealand before going to the Orient, where he will investigate matters relating to air transport. “ There are 1000 or more air ports now operating, and a further 1400 are contemplated,” Mr Howard said. “ Some are handled privately, and others by corporations and municipalities. The development has been almost breathtaking as two or three years ago commercial air transport was really just beginning. Most of the air ports are under municipal control, the actual department depending upon the organisation of the city government. There is usually some sort of advisory board of aeronautical men to which the controlling body might refer.” One very successful air port was put under the jurisdiction of the Port Commission, a body similar to a harbour board in New Zealand, the general superintendent being the harbour engineer. It was expected that an air port would have paid for itself in seven years. However, it was almost impossible to give any idea of how things had developed. The United States was now criss-crossed with air lines, and there are several routes across the Continent. All the lines are privately owned, and there was no such thing as a direct Government subsidy even for nffiil services which were conducted by private contractors.