Evening star., 1955-03-18
CAB Is Asked
To Make Lines
Use Friendship
Z Butler Tokes Action;
Conference Is Set
To Discuss Schedules

To Discuss Schedules
Senator Butler. Republican, Of
Maryland. today asked the Civil
Aeronautics Board to start
formal proceedings to make air.
lines using Washington National
Airport shift some of their flights
to Baltimore's Friendship Inter-
national Airport.
The action, announced by his
Office, came on the heels Of ap-
proval by President Eisenhower
yesterday for temporary use Of
Friendship to supplement service
at overcrowded National.
Announcement of the White
House decision apparently ended
for the present. at least-any
hope of expanding commercial
airport facilities in the immedi-
ate Washington area.
Also, it caught representatives
of the air transport industry of
balance at a meeting in Sena-
tor Buffers Office.
To Arrange Conference
They agreed to call in top
level representatives Of all the
airlines involved for a meeting
with the Maryland Republican
In q week or so to discuss sched-
uling flights into Friendship.
At the same time, said Milton
w. Arnold. vice president Of the
Air Transport Association, I'VE
will have to talk to our people
to see what they want to do" in
view of the Presidents decision.
Efforts to continue increasing
business into Washington will
have to be given up unless
Friendship is used, he said.
When the airline representa-
tives get together for the Butler
conference, Mr.. Arnold in
dfcated, they will try to decide
which to do.
He said there is no hope Of
increasing commercial flights
into National in any significant
number, despite statements made
in the Eisenhower approved re-
port that this could be done.
This he characterized as a mice
little bit Of Juggling facts and
| figures"
Sees Airline Opposition
Senator Buffers request to
the CAB was to designate
Friendship as a "co-terminal"
for Washington passengers, It
came after he had charged, at
his meeting with Mr.. Arnold,
that the airlines have opposed
use of Friendship for Washing
ton-bound passengers.
The Presidents decision, ho
said. "places the fact squarely
up to the airlines. They know
now they're not going to get
dllOtIlCI dul)OTG.
| Senator Butler charged that
the airlines now held Washing
ton bound flights on the ground
at other cities when the wealth.
er turns bad here and limits
flights into National. They make
no effort to take these passen.
gers to Friendship, only As min.
utes from downtown Washing
ton, he insisted.
He told the airline represent.
atives. he said. that If any crack
ups occur at National because
Of stacking" under instrument
flight conditions, "the airlines
are going to have to explain to
the public"
Sees Selling Curbed
"The airlines," Senator Butler
said, haven't made one single
effort to sell Friendship. The
attitude of the airlines has bean
to scare people away from it,"
His letter to the CAB today
resulted. He said he was asking
the board to act under its legal
powers requiring airlines to give
safe and adequate service"
Also. he said, where public
convenience or necessity" re-
quires it, the board can order
hearings on its own initiative
which could lead to an order
designating Friendship as a
"coterminal" for Washington
passengers.
Commenting on the Eisen-
hower-approved report, Mr.,
Arnold said plans to expand the
capacity of National would have
little value.
Under instrument flight con-
ditions. he said, National can
handle only 40 landings or take
offs an hour. Only flights which
come within this limit may be
regarded aS scheduled" Up to
IL and 13' additional trips are
added In good weather, but
these must be Cancelled in bad
weather.
Sees Transportation Switch
And, he said; If passengers cam
not depend on getting through
In any weather they are likely
to switch to other forms Of
transportation.
At the moment, he said, 81
or 38 of the 40 flights an hour
under instrument conditions are
commercial airline trips. This
fact. he said, will not be affected
materially by the proposals in
yesterdays report.
bility Of relocating all fight
activities presently conducted at