§ 14. Colonel Gomme-Duncanasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation why an application for a charter service between Aberdeen, Perth, Turnhouse, Prestwick and Belfast was rejected in view of the unanimous and repeated recommendations of the Air 63W Transport Advisory Council that such a service should be provided.
§ Mr. LindgrenAfter careful consideration, my noble Friend came to the conclusion that the grant of an associate agreement for a scheduled air service on this route would not fulfil condition (X) of his directive to the Air Transport Advisory Council, in that the section of the service between Prestwick and Belfast would hamper the planned development of the Corporation's services. He was, therefore, unable to approve the application. The company was offered a route between Aberdeen, Perth, Turnhouse and Prestwick or Renfrew but was not prepared to operate it.
§ 15. Colonel Gomme-Duncanasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation when his undertaking made three years ago that Perth and Dundee would be given a scheduled air service using Errol as the airport will be fulfilled.
§ Mr. LindgrenBritish European Airways Corporation's present plans do not envisage air services to Errol. In a reply to Questions by the hon. Members for North Edinburgh (Mr. Willis) and for Dundee (Mr. Cook) on 18th February, 1948, I explained that services between Errol and Renfrew or Turnhouse would involve considerable operating loss and also expenditure on the improvement and operation of Errol aerodrome. That is still so, and the need for economy is at least as great now as then, so that the introduction of these air services to supplement existing rail communications would still not be justified.