AIR TRANSPORT NEWS
Page 55
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INAUGURATION OF SCOTLAND AND BELFAST SERVICES.
Lord Londonderry is to inaugurate the Londoa-Glasgow and LondonBelfast daily services of Midland and Scottish Air Ferries, Ltd., at a eereanony at Liverpool (Speke Airport) to-day. Regular operation commences
April 9. Inauguration of these lines was postponed from March 14, The company has been busy with heavy bookings during Easter, both on its regular services and on private charters, one charter flight being made to Kirkwall, Orkney.
Hillman's Record Paris Traffic.
In the week to March 30 Hillmans Airways. Ltd., carried 145 singlejourney passengers on the RomfordParis line. Charter flights were made to the Isle of Wight, Liverpool and Abingdon.
The company is concentrating' on the Paris route, and carried remarkably good traffic at Easter.
London-Plymouth in 90 Minutes.
Provincial Airways, Ltd., commenced on March 28 its non-stop Croydon-Plymouth service, supplementing the service which calls at Southampton and Haldon. The time taken is 11 hr., a saving of 30 mins. In the week to April 2, 5,240 miles were flown and 35 passengers carried ; Over Easter 49 passengers were carried.
Big Dragon Loads for Jersey.
The fleet of. Jersey Airways, Ltd. (six Dragons), was .all too small to cope with the Easter bookings. On. Thursday. and Good Friday, for example, eight Dragon loads were taken to Jersey, partly from Heston and partly from Portsmouth. Passengers and aircraft in and out of Heston aIcne numbered 153 and 38 respectively, from Thursday to Tuesday.
Jersey Aerodrome: Purchase of Site.
It is reported that the Jersey States this week decided to purchase at £20,000 the St. Peter's aerodrome site.
Blackpool Activities Commencing.
During Easter Blackpool and West Coast Air Services, Ltd., operated one service per day to the Isle of Man, from Liverpool at 3.50 p.m. and from 131ackpool at 4.15 p.m. The summer I imetable will shortly be issued.
Pioneer Company Ceases Operation.
British Amphibious Air Lines, Ltd., which from 1932 pioneered the Blackpool-Isle of Man route with a Cutty Sark amphibious flying boat, advises us that it is almost certain the. service will not operate this year. A scheme to increase the company's capital has
fallen through, and it is not considered a business proposition to continue with the small flying boat. The business winds up with a loss of only a few pounds, and many will regret that this pioneer concern is unable to continue operations. Mr. R. C. H. Monk is the chief pilot and manager.
Isle of Wight: Much Bigger Easter
Traffic.
Portsmouth, Southsea and Isle of Wight Aviation, Ltd., advises us that on the services to Ryde, Shanklin and Shoreham 675 single-journey passengers were carried from Thursday to Easter, Monday, against 289 in 1933.
On May 17 the Portsraouth-Bournemouth section will open, with connection to Bristol and Cardiff.
The fare from Shoreham to Cardiff is given as £4 19s, return or 12 us. single, and the fare between Bristol and Bournemouth is £1 19s. 6d. return or RI single, The smallest fare is that between Shanklin and Ryde (5s. 6d. return, 3s. 6d. single) and the Portsmouth-Ryde fare has been reduced from 10s. and 6s. to as. 6d. and 45. 6d. respectively. A half-hourly service is run between Portsmouth. Ryde and Shanklin.
K.L.M. Machines for EnglandAustralia Rage.
The K.L.M. concern is expected to enter a formidable team of fast transport aircraft in the MacRobertson England-Australia rare next October. Probably one or more Fokker machines with American engines will be entered for the handicap and a Douglas DC2 (two Wright Cyclone 700 b.h.p. efigines) for the open race. Passages, at about £450, including all hotel expenses, are offered in the handicap machine. The Douglas will carry mail and will cruise at about 190 :m.p.h.
With its experience on the Amsterdam-Batavia mail route the company has a good chance,of success. Prestige enters into this matter, and there is speculation as to whether Imperial Airways, Ltd., has secret intentions to enter for the race.
Short Scylla at Mattlesham.
The new Short Scylla, virtually a land-undercarriage version of the Scipio flying boat, flew at Rochester aerodrome on March 26. Two are being built for Imperial Airways, Ltd.
50 Autogiros Being Built, A. V. Roe and Co:, Ltd., Newton Heath, Manchester, is laying down for production 50 Cierva C3OP Autogiros.
'Marconi Service Depot at Heston.
Marconi's Wireless Telegraph Co., Ltd., is to install at Heston a servicing depot similar to that at Croydon.
ORKNEY SERVICE TO BE EXTENDED TO SHETLAND.
The April timetable of Highland Airways, Ltd., includes a service each Monday and Thursday between Kirkwall and Inverness, and a service on other days of the week between Kirkwall and Wick. Front May 1 the whole route will be flown daily each way. The Inverness-Kirkwall fare is £3 single.
From May 1 there will fie a daily service between Kirkwall and Thurso (single fare £1), and the machine for this section is to be kept at Kirkwall, whence it will operate also a line to the Shetland's twice daily on Mondays, Tuesdays and Saturdays.
Railway Interest in the Shetlands.
At a recent meeting of Shetland County Council a letter from Imperial Airways, Ltd., was read, stating that a proposed Shetland air service is a problem' to be studied by Railway Air Services, Ltd.
Another letter, from Highland Airways, Ltd„ Inverness, stated that the company was still unable to obtain a decision from the Post Office regarding the carriage of air mails to the Orkneys, although it had run now for nearly a year with about 95 per cent. regularity.
It is understood that Highland Airways, Ltd., considers using a part of Sumburgh Links, Shetland, as an aerodrome.
Future of the Hatnher Ferry.
It is stilt very doubtful as to whether North Sea Aerial and General Transport, Ltd., Brough, East Yorks, will run a regular service, as last year, between Hull and Grimsby. The company's charter service is available throughout the year. For two or three passengers the rate is 4d. per passenger-mile. Cabin aeroplanes are used.
Sightseeing Tours by Air At Easter, Ainvork, Ltd„ Barton Airport, Manchester, commenced sightseeing tours by cabin aeroplane. Some fares were : 24-miles tour over Manchester, 10s. ; Southport, Liverpool, Buxton, £1; Lake District or Anglesey, £2 10s.
Further Evidence of Easter Traffic.
On the Heston-le Touquet Easter services (Thursday to Tuesday) the British Air Navigation Co., Ltd., carried over 100 single-journey passengers and had to use relief machines. Messrs. Wrightson and Pearse carried 37, out of a capacity of 54. 011ey Air Service, Ltd., could have filled half-a-dozen Dragons with Easter traffic offering for various destinations,