Evening star., 1947-10-24
CAB Suspends42
Irregular r'Air|ines
For Ignoring Rules
By W. H, Shippen, Jr.
Aviotion Editor OF The Stor

rOTIy-GWO Oh Ln6 country
larger irregular" or nonSched-
uled air carriers were grounded
today by order of the Civil Aero
nautics Board for failure to
comply with new economic regu-
lations which, many of the car
riers believe, are forcing them
out of business.
Most OF the suspensions were for
failure to file detailed tariff sched-
ules with the board, a procedure
complex enough, spokesmen for the
carriers said, to require 80 pages of
explanation from the Federal
agency. The trouble seems to be
that even carriers who can afford
to hire special attorneys still are
uncertain how to comply with the
regulations.
Approximately one-third of the
country's larger nonscheduled air.
transport companies are now under
suspension. Before they can oper-
ate legally again, they must apply
to the board for hearing to have
their new letters of registration re-
instated, according to CAB spokes-
men.
Little Fellows" Exempted.
The operators required to file the
new tariffs are roughly those large
enough to operate at least one DC-3
or as many as three lighter aircraft
with total weight of more than
$4,000 pounds.
The little fellows" or those with
lighter flying equipment, are not
required to file the tariffs, but must
comply with new regulations for all
"lrregulars" which ban foreign"
passenger flights and any fight
service on schedules of regularity
or a reasonable degree of regu-
larity."
This latter provision has limited
the operations of local flying serv-
ices which have sought, through
newspaper and other advertising, to
build up seasonal services to beach
resorts or to hunting or fishing
grounds in Canada and elsewhere
at points not served by the sched-
uled airlines.
IS Suspended October 2.
After due warning, the CAB on
October 2 suspended new letters of
registration for 65 irregular carriers
but allowed Is days in which to
comply with the regulations. Twen-
ty-one of the carriers complied and
two were reclassified to exempt
them from the regulation.
The independent or irregular
carriers, mostly operated by former
service airmen, engineers and me-
chanics, find some of the regula-
tions as difficult to understand as
they are to obey. They feel they
we're written for the scheduled car
riers with stats of attorneys and
statisticians to interpret them and
file reports.
Afaird to Advertise.
Asked to comment on the fact
that operators in the Washington
area found it difficult under the new
regulations to advertise their serv-
ices, John j. Klak. general counsel
of the Independent Air Carriers,
replied:
The fact that the unscheduled
air carriers are not advertising is
not a mere coincidence. They
fear that by newspaper notice the
CAB will consider that they are
notifying the public that they are
conducting service between points
with regularity, or with a reasonable
degree of regularity.
The new economic regulations
prohibit such operations as well as
foreign air transportation of pas
sengers
BY this change in regulations
the CAB has virtually placed some
1000 irregular air carriers out of
business"
CAB Slow in Acting.
Those with money and legal aid
essential to applying for certificates
as scheduled carriers point out it
now takes the CAB from one to
two years to pass on such an appli-
cation. The CAB, with one of the
smallest staffs of any Federal
agency, now has a backlog of some
1900 applications for air services
by newcomers or extension of serv-
ices by the scheduled carriers.
Meanwhile. the hard-pressed indie
pendents are seeking the right tc
establish regular services between
any two points, one of which is not
served by a regular carrier, while.
advising the public the service can
be halted any time the CAB wishes
to make the readjustment.
These and other claims, including
charges of discrimination against
small operators as to landing fees,
gasoline and maintenance at air.
ports, will be presented before The
Presidents Air Policy Commission
next week.