HC Deb 17 November 1937 vol 329 c382
33. Captain Alan Graham

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether he will arrange that at least one out of the intended nine flights per week of Imperial Airways, Limited, to Egypt shall call at Cyprus, in order to improve both Imperial trade and communications with the colony, since both are at present not only neglected but prejudiced by its being on the non-European telegraph rate?

The Under-Secretary of State for Air (Lieut.-Colonel Muirhead)

I regret that in present circumstances it is impracticable to arrange for any aircraft operating the main trunk services of the Empire Air Mail Scheme to call at Cyprus. So far as the flying boat services are concerned, there is no suitable base there. As regards the landplane services, the route has been organised to operate via Malta and Egypt, and the duplication of the organisation that the diversion of a service via Cyprus would entail would not be justified.