The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-07-17


 all anxious to begin, but three things are holding them up.
 1. Lack of planes. Pan-Am has five Boeing Clippers Export two Si- korskys, al under contract to the military and VIVA has five Strato- liners in domestic service. But, if it can get replacements for them in two-engined planes, VIVA may get the jump with service to Paris via Newfoundland and Foynes, Ireland. 2. Need to arrange for air bases, communications systems, weather reporting service and ground crews in European countries. U. s. Army Air Force installations in Europe can't be turned over to commercial airline operators without lot of dic!kering
 3. U. s. Department of State must complete agreements with some A foreign countries to which routes have been authorized This is the most important requirement. of all.
 Agreements for landing rights have now been completed with Can ada, Iceland, Ireland, Sweden, Den mark and Spain. In addition, the State Department made agreements with France and Great Britain be- fore the war, and Pan-American has landing rights in Portugal and Marseilles, France.
 Briefly, the new routes approved are these:
 American Export to operate over a northern route to British Isles, Scandinavian countries, Berlin and Moscow
 Pan-American to operate via Bri- tish Isles and middle Europe to Turkey, the Near East, and Cal cutta.
 VIVA to Paris. Spain, the Medi- terranean countries and Bombay. WE GOT THE EDGE
 AT CHICAGO
 In negotiating for transit and landing rights along these routes, the international civil aviation agreements worked out at Chicago last fall now appear to be of con- siderable advantage.
 For instance, British aviation in- terests may have a natural desire to block American competition in Eu- rope. The pre-war British-American agreement permits airlines of the two countries to operate on an even basis. That is, British Overseas Air. ways Corporation can now operate only four schedules a week to the United States, so U. s. airlines may operate only four schedules a week to the British Isles.
 But the British government sign ed the so-called two freedoms" agreement at Chicago. This gives any U. s. airline the right to oper- ate through the British Isles to points beyond, just so the U. s. air. line does not pick up or discharge passengers and cargo at British air. ports. Under this deal, Pan-Am and Export airlines might run 50 flights a week through London to refuel for points beyond. The hope is that when the British see all this traffic going through without their getting any benefits from it, they'll want a piece of the business and let down the bars.
 FEW PLANES WOULD
 DO THE TRICK
 All three airlines given postwar commercial rights to Europe are op- erating services for Army and Navy. There is terrific pressure on the Army to release some of it's four engined transport planes for com- mercial service. So far this pressure has been resisted because the Air Transport Command has been given the job of flying back some 50,000 troops month. After that, many of these planes may be assigned to the Pacific. But it would take only dozen planes to put the airlines in international business.
 Even when the airlines have the planes and even when all the neces- Sary treaties are signed, there will be other obstacles. Foreign commer- cial airports must be designated, radio communication and weather reporting services established, and crews trained to operate them. Fin ally, all these planes, crews and services will have to be inspected and licensed to operate in the Uni ted States and foreign countries to insure the safety of the travelling public. That will take more time.