AIRWAYS OF THE GLOBE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 11, 14 January 1936, Page 10

AIRWAYS OF THE GLOBE

Putting N,Z. on the Air Map

Figures which have just become available show that throughout Uiv world, at the present tunc, tiicn ait approximately 22<),U<JU mii<'.> <>i "ig-. msed air-lines. Sixteen \c;hs ago, m 1919, when the first icguiar air suivices were being organised, the total airway mileage ot the gloov did n<>. total mure than 3,060. A year later however, m 19-0, the figure has risen to just over 9,000 miles , while h\ 1921 it had exceeded 10,600 miles. Progress alter this was c\cn more rapid. Within a couple ot years th' mileage of the world’s air routes w.i* nearing 20,000. B\ 19-V> the total had soared to over 30,01X1. and was increasing constantly. Development* were now so swilt, in iaet, that by 19'26, the figure had almost reached the 50,000 mark. By 1927 the total stood at 51,7 i miles, and in the following yiar it took a big jump to a figure of 90,()!!■>. Then in the year 19’29 we saw tin 100,000 figure reached, while l>y llLTthe total iiad risen to 15(1,000 mile* Two years later the total was ap preaching 200.00(), and. when stall* tics for 1933 bceanie available, it wa* seen that the figure had ilinibed Io just over 200,600. Since then, as has been shown, roughly another 2O.(U)H miles of routes have been addetl to the ever-growing total. It was British entrnprise whi<h had the credit ot inaugurating fluworld’s first daily air serx i<lor passengers and urgent ireght. This 250 miles serviee, opera I ing from Liuidon to Paus on a sea tout-' via Dover and Gris-Nez, was for a tune our only regular British air-lim . .Sion, however, it was followed by other services from London t<> the Continent; while the general European air system has developed so rapidly that, at the present time, it comprises more than 60.000 miles. For the first five years of British air travel the only routes were Iln>>p be tween London find the Continent. Then, in 1924, came the landma k of the establishment of Imperial .\irwnys, and the official decision to concentrate on a programmn of Empire nir development. Surveys were organised along the main trunk routes fo India ami Africa. A system cf landing grounds, v. irele.-s, and meteorology was created. A ire tuft routes were ordered, and eight ve.-us specially for use on these longdistance ago, in 1927, the first of our F.mpire air-links, a route of J.Juu mi.lcs Iftween Cairo and Basra, come into tu-tual operation. Within two years this Cniroßasra service was pushed on until it reached ( India; while at the same time another l link was forged which pro\ ided a connection between Cairo and London, thus enabling a through service to be k flown between England and India The establishment of this first Empire air-mail was the prelude t n further important progress with long-distance . routes. By 1931 it. became possible to open the first Central Africa sections of a Cairo-Cape route, and by the fol- , lowing year there was an mih-- • service right through from London t" ; Capo Town. Traffic grew rapidly on the Bin pl re , air-lines, and it was not long before it became possible to continue the Extern route across India Io Calcutta, and on to Rangoon and Singapore; after at the cnl of last year, further links came into operation which carried the service on to Port Darwin and B:i--bane, there to link up ■with the air-mail system of Australia. All of which means

that in eight years the Empire afr-malTi operated i»y Imperial Airways and its associated companies has grown from a pifineor route of approximately 100 Q miles to a network or routes extending <»ver more than 20.0im miles; while the grow tii of traffic now enables a twice* weekly service, instead of the previous mice-a-week service, to be operated from London through to Johannesburg, and from London as far as Singapore. To-day Empire air progress must de- \ c'.op a i ,ig two main channels. Due of I’ iso is the great scheme by wl ich it s hoed in two years time to put first* class mails into the air in bulk between ih ( > Homeland and distant, parts ol the ii;. pi-.c. The other is the creation, with as little de] ,-.- as possible, of new ser- , which will bring the benefits of Empire air speed to vital territories smh as Canada. New Zealand, West Afr G- cd Hong Kong, which arr nof vet liuE-d up reoilnrlv with the main i • ■ ' ■ tom operated by inw |,Pi-in| \jj \ ; and ils associated on It 1S known that Imperial Anwayw ha\c ic cntlv plac'd orders for giant new iioilti-en/.iiied aircraft concerning which lull detail* aie not yet available, but in re'.ard to whi<h it may be said that they will not only Ily faster, and .-.-hiv lieaxier loads, than any aircraft at pn-x-nl in the ( < nipan.v’s fleet, but thov will also, in the size and equipment ol their saloons, set a new stand;nd <>i luxury in long-distance air tin-, cl. These new air liners are underto be adapted lor night as well a s di-, livin’., providing comfortable s| ( ( pin • bi rihs lei th< ir passengf t sa that when a h quale night-flung organisation is axailable in the shape of In.-uons. aerodrome lighting, wireless, and meteorology, they will be able, tn operate on the main Empire mute to It i s I- nou n al o that there is in ■ hand • programme of air route ex|nn on flights are now being made with a view Io the opening of . a new Empire air link which will < nnI m>< t. Hon Kong with the main Eag- , land-\ ust r.ilia scrvue at Penang. It is also expected that another new ser- ( \i< r will lie mail pirated to connect Nigeria and the Gold ( oast, with the main Gaunt ape route before t lie end Special importance in the develop* . ment of intvi Imperial air transport, ■ therefore, attaches to the steps that era i being taken to connect New Zealand and Canada 1o the main lanpire trunk routes. On the occasion of the last; 1 annual general meeting of Imperial Aiw ‘ I ways, the chairman, Sir Eric Geddes ( ' announced that a special composite type | of aircraft was to be constructed which | it was hoped would prove itself to have j outstanding characteristics as a new! , i kind of long-range high-speed mail-car* ! rier, particularly suitable for operating I long oveisea routes such as the Atlan-’’ > | tic ocean or the Tasman Sea. Imperial * ! Airways would therefore appear to have ! taken slops which may be useful in tha - ' establishment of an Australian-Ne.W ' Zealand service and a trans-AtlautiG service connecting the England-Africa* Australia services, with the airway 1 sy.-lems of Canada. j In due eourse there will also doubt* I less be a British Pacific air-mail, probable effecting one of its connection! . i with the 1 rail•*-F.:npire routes at New • Zealand and then it will be possible t< I | cm] a load I >y Brit di a r»services coub .'.V.'.W, A A-.