§ Sir R. Gowerasked the Postmaster-General what foreign and Empire air-mail services are now available; how frequently each operates; what is the average time of transit; and what arrangements are made for the rapid censoring of such air-mail when posted a few hours before the time of despatch?
§ Major TryonThere are air mail services to most countries in the world by direct air services or by a combination of air and surface routes. Air mail correspondence for European countries (other than enemy and enemy occupied territory) is despatched daily by direct air services to France, Belgium and Holland, and correspondence for Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Latvia and the U.S.S.R. receives onward air transmission from Holland. Air mail correspondence for most other European countries is conveyed by air to Paris and thence by surface route. Many of the air services have been subject to interruptions during the present winter and it is not possible on the basis of recent working to quote average transit times which could be regarded as representative under normal conditions.
The normal time of transit, excluding time occupied in collection, censorship (where applicable) and delivery, varies in the case of the European services, from a few hours for the service to Paris to 1 day, 3 days and 4 days for Stockholm, Moscow and Rome respectively. There are two services each week on the Empire air routes to India, Malaya, Hong Kong, Australia and East Africa and one service weekly to West and South Africa; the scheduled times of transmission are 6 days to India, 5–7 days to East Africa, 7 days to West Africa and South Africa, 8 days to Malaya and Hong Kong and 12 days to Australia. There is a twice weekly air mail service to North America by the Pan-American air service from Lisbon to New York; in the most favourable conditions transmission from 2278W London to New York should occupy only 3–4 days, but the service has been subject to interruption on account of weather conditions and the average transit time has recently been 14 days. There is a weekly air mail service to South America by a French air service from Marseilles, the correspondence being conveyed from Paris to Marseilles by surface route, and if no delay takes place at any stage of the journey the time of transmission from London to Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires and Santiago should be 4, 5 and 6 days respectively. Air correspondence for South America may also be sent by surface route, or by air from Lisbon to New York for onward air conveyance to South America.
Air mail receives priority of treatment over other mail by the censorship and I understand that arrangements are now in progress which will, it is hoped, reduce to a minimum any delay which may be due to censorship.