AIR MAIL SERVICE

Southland Times, Issue 21196, 24 September 1930, Page 5

AIR MAIL SERVICE

LONDON TO CAPE TOWN. OPERATING NEXT YEAR. (British Official Wireless.) Rugby. September. 22. Regarding the regular air mail route between London and Cape Town, which Imperial Airways are to operate next year, there will at first be departures every 11 days in each direction, but it is anticipated that this will, before long, be reduced to' nine. The Union of South Africa, which has supported the scheme from the beginning, is making a substantial contribution to the' necessary subsidy and is actively assisting the project in other ways. The governments of the Sudan, Kenya, Uganda, Tanganyika and Northern and Southern Rhodesia are also co-operating and the Egyptian Government, which is not contributing to the subsidy, is providing valuable facilities for the service. All the authorities which are' concerned have throughout the negotiations appreciated the advantages, both local and general, of the enterprise which will immensely improve communications between widely separated parts of the Empire. The first half of the route to be in operation in January will extend from London to Kisumu on Lake Victoria, which is 2,600 miles from Cairo and 150 miles from Nairobi. The route chosen for the remaining 3,000 miles to the Cape after following the Nile will pass through Uganda, Tanganyika, and Rhodesia. The short Calcutta type of flying boat will be used between Khartoum and Kisumu and these will alight on the Nile and the lakes. The land, machines to be used along the route -will be Armstrong-Whit-worth Argosies and de Havilland Hercules machines, which will have three engines. Each route will serve, much undeveloped territory and each has been designed to permit the eventual provision of branch services at various points.