Aviation Anxieties
While the debate on the Air Estimates in the House of Commons on Tuesday gave ample opportunity for discussion of the supersession of Mr. d'Erlanger as Chairman of British European Airways, very little light was in fact thrown on the grounds for what one Member with considerable knowledge of the subject described as Mr. d'Erlanger's " dismissal." All the Parliamentary Secretary was pre- pared to say was that Mr. d'Erlanger's appointment expired in June and that the Minister, for reasons undisclosed, had decided not to reappoint him. That chapter, therefore, in the history of the three Corporations—is closed, and a new one under Lord Douglas, formerly Sir Sholto Douglas, opens. There are no grounds at present for acclaiming the Minister's decision, but that does not necessarily mean that it is wrong. On the financial position of the three Corpora- tions (two of which, B.O.A.C. and B.S.A.A., are likely to be amalga- mated) Mr. Lindgren made a reasonably good case. It was inevitable that in starting commercial services from almost nothing after a war in which hardly any commercial aircraft had been built in this country it should be impossible to get on to a paying basis at once. Even now a balanced budget is not .in sight, for while the 1947-48 deficit of Lir millions is likely to be reduced to £9 millions in 1948-9, the further reduction to £5,500,000 in the next financial year will not materialise, owing to such factors as the scrapping of the Tudors and the late delivery of other machines. In other directions, however, the outlook is hopeful. Concentration at Heath Row and the elimina- tion of Northolt will remove the dangers that increasing traffic might involve at two separate aerodromes so near together, and the impend- ing delivery of Boeings, Canadairs, Constellations and Hermes for B.O.A.C., while the Viking is further developed for B.E.A., should provide material for a service both more efficient and more profitable than exists at present. If things turn out so, the present deficit need not be too seriously regarded.
Previous page
