AIR SERVICE

Hokitika Guardian, 24 June 1933, Page 6

AIR SERVICE

EXTENDING TO AUSTRALIA THE FULL UNDERTAKING LONDON, Juno 18. Plans for extension of the EnglandIndia air service to Australia in three main stages are set out in an official White Paper, tabled by the Secretary of State for Air, and amplified in an explanatory note circulated by the Air Ministry.

First will come extension, probably in July, of the existing service from Karachi to Calcutta ; second, extension on to Singapore by <>r before the beginning of 19J I.; third establishment of the air link between Singapore and the Commonwealth. The complete ainvay, providing a weekly service in each direction between London and the chief Australian cities, should be in regular operation in 10 months’ time. The terms of the agreement prono-e with Imperial Airways cover a period of approximately five years, beginning with the date of the opening of the £ingapore-Australian section and ending on .March 31, 1939, simultaneously with the termination of the present agreement for operation of the Eng-land-India ainvay. The maximum subsidies payable will be 1,40,000 for the first year of the England-Australia service, £30.000 for each of the second and third years, and £20.000 per annum for the remaining period of the contract. Government assistance contemplated amounts, thereljore, to a maximum of £14.0,0001

PROVIDING GROUND SERVICES The governments India, the Straits Settlements, and tlie Malay States have undertaken to bear the cost of providing and maintaining landing grounds and other ground facilities, such as radio arid meteorological services.

According to present plans the Kng-land-Caloutta service should be extended to Rangoon in October and on to Singapore not more than three months later. At the outset tlie air journey from London to Singapore will occupy 10 days, effecting a saving of 10 to 14 days on the tirho taken by the regular steamship services from England. Between Karachi and Singapore a now company, called Indian Trans-continental Airways, wall operate the. service in con‘ junction with Imperial Airways. The capital of this new concern, will be subscribed jointly by the Indian Government, Imperial Airways, and Indian National Airways. “Feeder” and other services in Northern India., will be the care of the Indian National Airways; plans for operation of these internal air lines are already in course of. preparation. Thus the principle of control within its own borders which the Indian Government 'has consistently maintained will be preserved.'

MAILS ANP PASSENGERS Imperial Airways and Indian Transcontinental Airways will each provide one half of the fleet required for the through serviccir*The fleets of the two companies will be homogeneous, and will carry passengers and freight as well as mail. Probably they will consist of a number of the new four-en-gined Armstrong. Whitworth Atalanta monoplanes, fouf of which have recently been sent to Africa. An interesting detail of the plans for the Karachi-Cal-cutta extension is that from the start as large a proportion as is reasonably possible of the personnel employed by Indian Transcontinental Airways will be. .Indian. This proportion will be progressively increased as circumstances oermit. A number of Indians will begin shortly to train in the commercial and engineering! departments of Imperial Airways. The section between Singapore and the terminal aerodrome in Australia will be operated by a company promoted in Australia and subsidised by tlie Commonwealth Government.