HC Deb 16 December 1925 vol 189 cc1414-5
68. Rear-Admiral SUETER

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he is yet in a position to make any further statement on the project for an aeroplane service between Egypt and India?

Sir S. HOARE

Negotiations with Imperial Airways Limited for a regular air service between Egypt and India had advanced sufficiently last August for a detailed survey of the route to be carried out in September by officials of the company and the Air Ministry, and, after consideration of the results of this survey, definite heads of agreement for this service have been signed.

The most important new point emphasised by the survey was the great advantage which would result from the use of three-engined machines, which should make forced landings very improbable—a matter of prime importance on this unfrequented route. This, however, involves an increase of cost per machine, and, owing to the limitation of the money available, a consequent reduction in the number of machines and frequency of the services as compared with the project outlined to the House last July.

The agreement accordingly makes provision for a subsidy which can be earned by the company on the basis of a regular fortnightly service with three-engined machines for mails, goods and passengers, in each direction between Egypt and India via Baghdad and Basra.

This subsidy will, I hope, enable the company eventually to increase the frequency of its service to a weekly basis as traffic expands and as increasing income from that and other sources becomes available.

The maximum annual subsidy, to be earned by a stipulated degree of regularity in completed flights on each half of the route, will be £93,600. The duration of the agreement is to be for five years.

The three-engined machines will take some time to construct, and I do not expect the service to be in actual operation much before the end of next calendar year. The Air Ministry will, in the meanwhile, proceed with the items of ground organisation for which it is responsible.

As soon as the agreement is executed in legal form, I propose to lay it as a White Paper, with an explanatory statement.

Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHY

Does the right hon. Gentleman propose to extend this service to Australia?

Sir S. HOARE

We shall have to see how the first stage works.