13. Surgeon Lieut.-Commander Bennettasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation upon what routes and under what circumstances passenger aircraft are directed over the central parts of London; and what are the locations of the route and the navigational marks by which they traverse London.
§ Mr. BeswickFull details of the latest routeing instructions and radio facilities, which come into force tonight, were published in Notice to Airmen No. 210 of 15th December, 1950. Under these instructions no aircraft are specifically directed over central London, but some aircraft taking off from London and Northolt Airports in an easterly direction 380 will be routed as far east as Kilburn before turning north or south; while aircraft following instrument approach procedures for landings to the westward at London Airport may fly as far east as Hammersmith or, for very large aircraft, Chelsea.
Surgeon Lieut.-Commander BennettApart from the danger from intermittent bombardment of London by ice floes, is it not advisable that large civil aircraft should not approach London Airport in dead straight lines across London in fog and dirty weather, in view of the fact that sooner or later one of them will get into difficulty and drop on London? Would it not be better if they approached on the South-West runway which would be more suitable in foggy weather?
§ Mr. BeswickThat is a point which has been considered, but I see no way of getting round that particular difficulty.