EMPIRE AIR MAILS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19336, 28 May 1937, Page 5

EMPIRE AIR MAILS

FIFTEEN-YEAR PLAN

DECREASING SIJ BSIDIES

(British Official Wireless.)

RUGBY, May 26. A 15-year scheme of Empire air mails is outlined in a White Paper, which reveals that under the projected agreement between the Government and Imperial Airways, Limited, tin subsidies payable on a decreasing scale will aggregate £8,000,000, but these will be subjected to various adjustments

Provision is made for nine services weekly to and from Egypt, fve services weekly to and from India, three trips each week to and from East Africa and Straits Settlements, and two trips each week to ancl from South Africa and Australia.

The scheme is confidently txpected to ensure the due maintenance of British prestige in world air transport. It will also represent a striking devdopment in the form of long-distance (arriage of first-class mails by air at a flat charge for postage of l>)d. a half-ounc* for letters and Id for postcards, which, for cheapness, Ims never been approiched anywhere in tho world.

Both flying-boat and land plane services will operate from England. The aircraft will have a maxiinun speed ol about 200 miles an hour, aid a commercial pay load of, roughly, 3J, tons. It is stipulated that the [lanes shall be replaced after not more than seven years by improved craft, uul Imperial Airways will bo required to undertake to carry all first-class mail Is tween the participating countries, whidi, in the provisional list, number 28. The Government will providi free aerodromes and landing areas in R'itish territory in Egypt.

AUSTRALIAN SERVICE

START IN JANUARY

CANBERRA, May 27.

The air mail service betveen Australia and London will eoiimence in January, 1938. It will provde for an initial schedule of 10 days, vith a progressive reduction to seven Ays. The postage rate would hi reduced from 1/6 to 5d a half-ounce. The Commonwealth subsidy to the sjrvice will be a maximum of £50,000 a fear.

The new Empire flying-boas will be used on trial for two years oil the Australian section of the route fron Sydney to Singapore.

The acting-Prime Minister, Dr. Earle Page, announced that an agreement had finally been reached between the Government of the United Kinfdoin and Australia.