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How wrong can you be?
Page 40
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I HEARTILY concur with CM's editorial of September 28.
When Ian Cunningham stated at the recent Confederation of British Road Passenger Transport Conference that "British Airways was giving up 20 routes within the UK through unfair competition", he was completely wrong.
On each of the 26 routes which BA stated it was considering relinquishing, confirmed today, October 5, BA is the sole carrier licensed by the Civil Aviation Authority.
The CAA has protected BA from competition, even indirect. The CAA has even refused to allow other airlines to operate services on routes where BA held the licence but did not operate a service.
Anyone who has had to travel by air on routes within the UK will know how services on many of BA's routes have deteriorated during the past five years.
Recently the CAA took the unprecedented step of not only refusing BA price increases on routes, but also withdrawing some of BA's route licences and delivering a stern warning to BA to improve its UK services.
The CM belatedly realises, it seems, that protectionism is as bad as laissez-faire.
Fair competition should not adversely affect well run corn panies in any form of passenger transport.
It is only when politics and inefficient business practices come to the fore that service to the travelling public and profitability really suffer, with the consequent loss of business.
Ian Cunningham ought to be more careful with his comparisons. If he was serious in his remarks, I am surprised at his ignorance of UK air travel.
G. W. BROWN, Preston, Lancs.