FLYING RIGHTS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 March 1939, Page 6

FLYING RIGHTS

CHINESE GOVERNMENT’S ATTITUDE

NEW CONCESSION TO BRITAIN. HONG KONG TO BURMA. Hitherto it has been the consistent policy of the Chinese Government to refuse flying rights over Chinese territory to all foreign aviation concerns, states Mr H. G. W. Woodhead, C.8.E., Shanghai correspondent of the “Sydney Morning Telegraph.” The reason given was that, if such a concession were granted to the aviation interests of any one Power, similar rights would be claimed, on the “most favoured nation” basis, by other nations. The Chinese Government disavowed an aviation concession alleged to have been granted to a Japanese company in 1936 for the establishment of a SinoGerman corporations. With the extension of the Imperial Airways service from Singapore to Hong Kong, the British company was naturally anxious to secure flying privileges over Chinese territory. These wmuld have materially shortened the distance flown, especially if a direct service were opened between Hong Kong and Calcutta; and it was hoped, moreover, that in return for reciprocal privileges in the British colony, the Chinese would eventually agree to the extension of the Imperial- Airways service to Shanghai. SERVICES TO HONG KONG. Even on a reciprocal basis, however, the Chinese Government would not extend any facilities to the British company. Nevertheless, the British authorities, anxious to contribute to the extension of commercial aviation in the Far East, agreed, in 1936, to allow Hong Kong to be used as a port of call by aircraft of the China National Aviation Corporation on the Shanghai-Canton run. This service was inaugurated on November 5, 1936. In the previous March, Imperial Airways had begun operating a weekly air service with Penang to connect there with the main line service from Australia to London. And following a successful experimental flight from Manila by one of the Pan-American Airways’ “Clippers,” landing facilities were granted to’ this enterprise, which started a weekly service between Hong Kong and San Francisco at the end of April, 1937. In that month, permission was accorded to the Sino-German Eurasia Corporation to operate services into and out Of the British colony. So that by the middle of 1937, Hong Kong was linked up by direct air services with Singapore (for London or Australia), Shanghai, Peking, Manila, Honolulu, and San Francisco. In December, 1937, after several experimental flights, Imperial Airways altered its schedule to link up with ■ the main service at Bangkok, instead of Penang, adopting the route, Fort Bayard (Kwangchouwan), Hanoi, Udorn, and Bangkok. EFFECT OF THE WAR. Since the outbreak of Sino-Japanese hostilities, the flights of the two Sinoforeign aviation companies’ aircraft have been seriously restricted, especially since the shooting down of the, C.N.A.C. plane Kweilin, in the Canton Delta last August. Following the fall of Canton, an irregular service appears to have been maintained between Chungking of Yunnan and Hong Kong, the southern section of the trip being covered in darkness.

Air France having now been accorded landing privileges at Hong Kong, the colony has three air services a week to Europe, a weekly service across the Pacific, and intermittent services with the western and south-western Provinces of China.

A few months before Hong Kong granted landing facilities to the China National Aviation Corporation, the French Government agreed to allow this company’s machines to operate a service between Canton and Hanoi, subject to a call being made at the French leased territory of Kwangchouwan.

The route at present followed by the British and French passenger planes between Hong Kong and Calcutta—via Hanoi, Bangkok, and Rangoon—is a circuitous course of about 2937 miles. An alternative and more direct route, via Yunnan and Bhamo or Mandalay, would reduce this distance by over 1200 miles, or fully a day’s ordinary flying. This, however, would involve flying over Chinese territory, which has hitherto been prohibited. On January 25 a message from Chungking announced that an agreement had been reached between the British and Chinese Governments, “on a reciprocal basis,” for passenger and mail traffic between China and Europe via Yunnan and Burma. Imperial Airways machines will be conceded the right to flying from Hong Kong to Burma, and vice versa, via Yunnan, Britain granting similar facilities to the China National Aviation Corporation. NEW OVERLAND ROUTE. If this agreement is acted upon the duration of the air journey from Hong Kong to London will probably be reduced to five days. Whether it will go into effect immediately, however, is open to question, so far as Imperial Airways are concerned. That enterprise would hardly be justified in exposing its passengers and crews to the risk of being shot down over Chinese territory by Japanese pursuit planes.. No doubt while an undeclared war is in progress, a neutral aviation concern can claim immunity from attack, as a matter of legal right. But unless that claim is formally recognised by the Japanese authorities, and they agree to co-operate in ensuring the safety of the British aircraft imperial Airways might well hesitate before attempting the carriage of passengers and mails by the new route. The status of the China National Aviation Corporation would be rather different. As a semi-official Chinese concern, operating in war-time, it might be called upon to take risks which ought net to be asked of a neutral enterprise. It is doubtful, however, whether m the circumstances it could operate its Burma-Hong Kong service on a regular schedule, even, if it confined itself to night flying on the Yunnan-Hong Kong section. Yunnanfu (Kunming) is now within bombing range of Japanese aircraft, and any civil aeroplane making use of its aerodrome would incur a grave risk. It remains doubtful, therefore whether the arrangement recently concluded at Chungking will result in the near future, in the operation of regular British or Chinese air services over the new routes