}
12
22
services to and from Hong Kong will come into existence
I am unfortunately not yet in a position to say. China
is not a party to the International Air Convention and
the question of granting rights of transit and landing
rights in their Country to non-Chinese air lines is still
unsettled. Thile traffic with or over China will not
constitute the whole of the trade we may hope to see at
uur airport, it will occupy a very large place at any rate
in the early stages. Until therefore the matter of landing
rights has been arranged commercial air services to and from
Kai Tak must hang fire. It may seem premature in these cir-
cumstances to engage an Assistant Superintendent for the aerodrome but the Superintendent is due fer leave next year and even with the traffic now existing or in sight it is impossible to leave the aerodrome without a trained officer
in charge. As regards traffic in sight Honourable Members will notice that the subsidy to the Flying Club again appears under Other Charges for this sub-department and I am glad to be able to inform them that there is every reason to expect that the Club will be restored to life in the near future. After considerable persuasion the Air Ministry has withdrawn its objections to the establishment of a Flying School at Kai Tak and the Government has agreed to allow the Far last Aviation Company the use of the aero- drome for this purpose for an experimental period of two years and to pay it a subsidy not exceeding the $30,000 no to be voted and a similar sum for the second year in return for the free training of a certain number of