Air Transport News
Page 52
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NEW CONTINENTAL SERVICES FOR UNSUBSIDIZED COMPANY.
-THERE are more signs of unsubsi
dized British air services extending to Continental airports. In this development they enter into competition with the national subsidized companies, but there are prospects of help for the British lines, possibly in the form of mail contracts.
On October 12; British Continental Airways, Ltd., which has been running, during the past summer, a service to Ostend and Le Zoute, started a new service to Lille. The fares are 23 10s. single and 25 15s. return, and the machine leaves Croydon daily (except Sundays) at 9.15 a.m., arriving at Lille at 11 a.m. It leaves there at 3 pm' and reaches Croydon at 4.45 p.m.
Two days later, the company started its new service to Brussels, leaving Croydon at 9 a.m., arriving at Brussels at 10.45 a.m., leaving there at 4 p.m. and reaching Croydon at 5.45 p.m. The fares are £4 single and 46 16s. return.
Shortly the company will start a line to Amsterdam, and there are prospects of services to other European centres. The Lille route will be covered by de Havilland Dragons, until the aerodrome has bee* extended, and on the Brussels line D.H.89s and the D.H,86 are being used from the start.
HILLMAN MERGER APPROVED. A T an extraordinary general meeting, on October 10, the shareholders of Hillman's Airways, Ltd., approved of the directors' proposal for an agreement for the sale of the company's business and assets to Allied British Airways, Ltd. (United Airways, Ltd., and Spartan Air Lines, Ltd.). The chairman, Sit Charles A. Harris, K.C.M.G:, C.V.O., said that by continuing in isolated effort the company would have no immediate prospect of earning dividends.
Mr. G. cl'Erlartger, who, last spring, arranged for the acquisition of a large block of the Hillman family's shares, has shown his confidence in the future of the company by securing a guarantee for an additional subscription up to 15,000 in the unissued shares of the company. The combination will give Hillman's Airways, Ltd., 2100,000 available for maintenance and exten CO-OPERATION BETWEEN OPERATORS.
AS announced in last week's issue, the operators' division of the Air Transport Section of the Society of British Aircraft Constructors held a meeting to put the constitution of the group on a more autonomous footing. So far there have been no proper rules for the operators' division, which was merely a part of the S.B.A.C., although it was working entirely for the operators.
At last week's meeting, draft rules were approved. These make the subsciiption for full members £25 per annum and for associates £10. The a38 qualification for full membership is having existed as an air-service operator (regular or private-charter) for 12 months. There is another qualification requiring members to insure against third-party liability and liability to passengers.
BIG RISE IN COMMERCIAL TRAFFIC AT HESTON.
LATEST Heston Airport figures show that recorded take-offs and landings in August numbered 4,034 and,• of them, 1,905 were commercial. In
August, 1934, the corresponding figures were 3,234 and 1,255. Air-line passengers totalled 4,318, or 43 per cent. up on the figure of 3,022 for August, 1934.
Jersey Airways, Ltd., carried 1,717 passengers on the Heston-Jersey line in August, an increase of 18 per cent. Spartan Air Lines, Ltd., carried 1,668 passengers on the London-Isle of Wight line, United Airways, Ltd., 238 on the London-Blackpool line, P.S.I.o.W.A., Ltd., 525 on the London-Isle of Wight line and Commercial Air Hire, Ltd., 170 on the Inner Circle service between Heston and Croydon. P.S.I.o.W.A. also carried 31,800 lb. of freight. On September 22 this company closed its London service for the winter.
An increase of 8 per cent. was recorded last month (as compared With September, 1934) when 3,398 aircraft take-offs and landings were recorded. Jersey Airways, Ltd., carried 1,285 passengers between Heston and Jersey, or 22 per cent, more than in September, 1934. 223,100 MILES OF REGULAR AIR SERVICES.
THE Report on the Progress of Civil Aviation in 1934 has just been pub; lished by the Air Ministry. It can be bought for 5s. through Temple Press Ltd., 5-17, Rosebery Avenue, London, E.C.1, or any bookseller, or direct from H.M. Stationery Offices, Adastral House, Kingsway, London, W.C.2. The report contains such valuable statistics on both British and foreign air-transport work that it is indispensable to any operator.
In 1934, the world possessed approximately 223,100 route miles of regular air services and on them about 103,432,000 miles were flown. Germany spent 210,000,000 on civil-aviation subsidy—about 14 times as much as Great Britain. America spent about 26,000,000, which is eight times as much as that contributed by Great Britain.
Imperial Airways, Ltd., carried 54,875 passengers during the year and the company's total ton-mileage figure for passengers, mail and freight was 3,152,400, the average load being 1.4 ton.
• BIRMINGHAM-WESTON AIRLINE PLANS.
PLANS are being completed for the air.service between Birmingham and Weston-super-Mare next year. .Weston Council has bought 175 acres of land for an aerodrome, between Hutton Moor Lane and Moor Road, and Mr. Norman Edgar, managing director of Norman Edgar Western Airways, Ltd., Bristol, has been given permission to develop the scheme for operation next Easter. The service may be discontinued after Easter until early summer, when a regular daily service will probably he put into operation. Week-end excursions may also be run.
The company has, since September 26, 1932, run daily services across the Bristol Channel to Cardiff, and to Bournemouth for Isle of Wight and Paris.