Post_Office_1954-1955 — Page 14

AIR MAILS

34. Parcels posted for transmission by air, showed an all round increase and indicated the greater use which continues to be made of the air mail services, particularly by the commercial houses in their efforts to boost the trade of Hong Kong.

35. Philippine Air Lines withdrew their international service in April, 1954.

35. The late departure and arrival of aircraft in general. which was experienced during the late months of 1954 affected to some extent delivery and despatch of air mail correspondence. These delays naturally caused a considerable amount of additional work to the Post Office in the hurried re-arrangement of schedules and staff which was necessitated. Considerable repre- sentation to the air companies concerned, however, helped to bring about a very great improvement, and air despatches and arrivals can, in the main, now be said to be excellent.

37. During one period of the year, arrangements were made whereby air mail arriving at Hong Kong Air Port shortly after 8 a.m. on Saturdays, was delivered by the 9 a.m. delivery the same morning.

38. The number of ordinary air mail items handled was 11,978,362 as against the 10,703,936 handled in the previous year. The total number of air parcels dealt with during the year was 117,257. This was a considerable increase, as in 1953/54 the total was 76,625 parcels. The greatest increase was in parcels to Japan and the United States, despite the stringent regulations prevailing in those countries. The air parcel traffic to Japan alone at 58,257 parcels was 25,401 more than the total number for the previous year.

39. Air mail despatches were received for the first time from Copenhagen, Rotterdam, Soul, Stockholm, Malmo (Sweden) La Guaira (Venezuela), Bombay, Penang, and Nicosia, and a new

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