ATLANTIC AIR MAILS.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20540, 15 February 1935, Page 1

ATLANTIC AIR MAILS.

British Participation in Project. British Official Wireless. RUGBY, February 13. While the trans-Atlantic sea rivalry will be renewed with the completion of the Queen Mary and her proposed Cunard sister-ship and of France’s Normandie, a new air rivalry is looming in view. The Under-Secretary for Air (Sir Phillip Sassoon) said in the House of Commons that he believed that an order for the construction of a flyingboat suitable for use on the BermudaNew York section of the projected trans-Atlantic air service via the Azores and Bermuda, in conjunction with PanAmerican Airways, had been placed by Imperial Airwa3 r s. Preparations lor British participation in the project were being expedited as far as possible. Replying to a supplementary question. he said a great deal of ground organisation, including a new airport at Bermuda, had to be done, and the permission of the Portugese authorities to use the Azores obtained. The size and speed of the flying-boat have been kept secret, but the “ SunHerald ” service believes that the service from London to New York will take three days. The fare will be £l5O, and the longest hop 2170 miles. America has already two trans-Atlan-tic types of flying-boats, built to carry twenty-four and fifty passengers respectively. The French flying-boat is likely to be a strong rival. A message from Paris recently said that the largest flying-boat in the world, one of four specially built for the South Atlantic service, had been successfully tested, and would be used right through from France to Africa, and on to South America.