Evening star., 1933-08-13
New High Mark Is Expected
in Passenger Traffic
and Express.
COMPANIES OFFSETTING
DECLINE OF SUBSIDIES
Ten Per Cent Gain in Total Travel.
ers and 80 Per Cent Increase in
Mileage Is Predicted.
BY DONALD C. BOLLES,
PresS Financial Writer

NEW YORK, August 1.-THE giant
metal birds that fly the country's air
highways are writing In the sky this
year a chapter in the progress Of Amer
ican aviation that will outshine any In
a lustrous past. ..
With seven months Of the current
year behind it the aircraft industry has
enjoyed such an increased volume Of
patronage from passengers and express
customers that statisticianS OF the
Aeronautical Chamber of Commerce
have predicted 1888 will set new high
mark.
An infant at the close Of the World
War, American aviation has developed
a robustness that has amazed even
some OF its most optimistic prophets and
enabled It to forge ahead during the
depression years when other industries
were striving, many In vain, to MAINTAIN
the status quo.
In 1892, the worst year Of the de-
preston, commercial flying enjoyed the
best volume of business In its COM
paratively brief history. Nevertheless,
1t Is indicated it will be surpassed TINS
year.
The Chamber of Commerce expects
that passenger business will show 10
per cent increase over 1882 for the
number of passengers carried ana ~
per cent rise in the number OF paSSen-
ger miles flown. The disparity in the
rise is due to the fact that passengers
are being carried longer distances.
Express Total Climbs.
Patronage of the air lines as an ex-
press service has forged ahead as the
service improved and more lines entered
this field. As o consequence, an IL to
20 per cent increase in express pound
age is expected to result.
Air mail may suffer by comparison
with last year, due to the fact that the
volume fell with the so per cent In
crease in air mail rates last year. Re-
cent months have shown some improve
ment especially since July. !, when air
mail rates were cut IS per cent. The
year as a whole probably will show .
drop Of Is per cent or less In mail vol
ume from the peak year Of 1882.
some indication of the progress this
year, which has been accelerated by
business recovery and new high speed
equipment, Is given in the. comparable
figures tor the FIRST half Of 1888 and
1882. They follow:
1888. 1892.
Passengers (number). 229,o75 223,s34
Express (pounds)..... 8l3,353 668,250
Air mail (pounds). :. 4, ,S7l ,706 4,240,072
In the present, as in the past, Amer
ican air lines are dependent to Q large
extent upon air mail contracts for sub
sistence, but, the goal Of many today Is
to become self elf-sustaining. It Is esti-
mated that fully two-thirds Of the ag-
gregate operating revenues Of the mail
route operators during the first half of
ment.
Subsidies Decreased.
The total revenue of air lines In
1882 was about $2s, SOC, 900 and mail
contracts contributed $19,267, 900 of
the total. The reduction in mail sub
sides this year. to bring such expendi-
lures within the maximum limits OF
SIS, 900. 900 established by Congress.
represents % per cent decrease from
the appropriation for the previous or
1932-33 fiscal period.
To Offset this loss in revenue. air
lines have been making rapid strides
In expanding the passenger and ex-
have added express service and a
more transport planes we're put In the
air lanes the first five months Of the
year. More than 600 planes are today
in regular service.
While for some time to come oper-
ators may continue to rely on the
Government for the major part OF
their revenues, it is the view Of the
Standard Statistics Co. analysts that
the growth Of non Email receipts and
additional curtailment Of operating
costs may be- expected to gradually
achieve for them their ambition Of be-
ing self-sustaining.