MAILS BY AIR

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 18991, 16 April 1936, Page 6

MAILS BY AIR

FURTHER STEP FORWARD SURCHARGE DROPPED LONDON, March 21. .March 17 was a historic date in air transport 'and' postal history. A British Airways airliner left London for Scandinavia,, carrying half a ton of air mail oil which no extra "airmail" fee was paid. From now onwards the extra fee" on air mail to Denmark, Finland, Norway, ami Sweden is abolished. Letters and postcards addressed to places in those countries will be conveyed by air at the ordinary international postage rates whenever use of this method will expedite delivery. Once again Great Britain has taken, this time with the co-operation of four countries, tt big step forward in the development of air-mail services.

A brief ceremony before departure from the Heston Airport at 9.15 a.m. inaugurated the new service. A Royal Mail pennant was handed by the Assistant Postmaster-General to Mr. \Y. D. B. Roberts, chairman of British Airways, and passed on by him to the pilot, who placed il in position on the aeroplane. A postman brought four special bags, one for each of, the countries of destination. In them the Assist a n't Post m.asl er-f.leuoral placed official Ictteia after stamping them willi it special date-stamp. As he received each bag the postman sealed

and labelled it, arid handed il 1" the pilot. Then came the bulk of the mail in the streamlined Post Office air- il Villi. The bags were unloaded and conveyed to the machine. British Airways is an amalgamation of live opera ling companies which have established .a sound reputation as pioneers of air services in the British Isles. II is the first company other than Imperial Airways to receive a Government subsidy, and in return will assure the air-mail service with Scandinavia. The aircraft employed are de llavilland D.TT. SO biplanes, powered each with four 20(1 h.p. motors and cruising economically at 1.35 miles per hour. The scheduled time, for the 700 miles between London and Mtilmo is 53 hours' flying lime. Bach aeroplane has a commander, radio operator, and flight engineer.