TRANSPORT BY AIR

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 178, 23 April 1920, Page 7

TRANSPORT BY AIR

• fc f- COMMERCIAL POSSIBILITIES J OVER MAIN SEA ROUTES (By Telegraph-Press Associatlon-CopyriKht \ London, April 20. Air-Commodoro Maitland, lecturing before the Royal Society of Arts on tlio commercial future of airships, said their chief advantage was tho safe and rapid 1 long-distance transport. The easy in> terchnngeabnity of commercial airships into fighting machines would enable tho ) immediate provision of a fighting fleet [ with a full personnel in event of a war i emergency. Australia had recently made a deter--1 mined effort to shorten the time ocent p'ed in the sea passages to Britain. Ap- ■ parently the stenjiiship companies were unable to improve the services because tho improvement would entail the construction of such immense steamers as would be- out of proportion to tho voluma of traffic. Moreover, the Suez Canal would prevent the use of the largest liners, but the largest airships could fly profitably over the Australian and oilier, main, sea route at commercial prices.' It was not likely that air services could yet successfully compete with fast ' land liansport. Better meteorological knowledge would enable winds to bo regarded as friends instead of enemies. Tho. route to Australia crosses the permanent easterly trade winds at right angles and turns to the cast from the Cape, receiving assistance from the roarin? forties. The return journey could be made nearer the Equator, utilising the easterlies. The existing airships could show a profit of 15 per cent, by taking part in the Australian service, carrying a ton of mails at two shillings an ounce and passengers at £1% each, I on a flight ocpupying 9J days—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. ' .