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down by the Priority Board through lack of accommodation. would be difficult to reduce to any considerable degree the number of passengers to be carried without excluding persons of really high priority. There are occasions on which political or prestige considerations demand the allotment of a passage to an individual who would not otherwise be entitled to travel by air, but in general passages have been restricted to those who are making a direct and immediate contribution to the war effort. Any considerable reduction in the number of passengers is therefore undesirable. It should also be realised that Government Departments are far from satisfied with the amount of space at present available for the carriage of official mails. In particular, the Air Ministry have recently received a letter from the Ministry of Supply in which a request is made for a weekly allotment of 70 kilos for the carriage of drawings specifications and samples to munition production agencies East of Suez.
6.
J
At the present time, 4 3.0.A. C. aircraft are working through the Mediterranean and this has materially increased the pay load available, as aircraft not only maintain a higher frequency, but carry an average of 1,716 kilos, as compared to the West African route where the average pay load of these aircraft is 1,100 kilos. There are, in addition, three Boeing The Clippers working outwards only on the West African route. pay load of these aircraft is 3,500 kilos, but as at present they are returning to America for overhaul, the aircraft only average one flight in 16 days.
7.
The continued operation of civil aircraft through the Mediterranean is dependent upon the general air situation at Malta and circumstances may well arise which will necessitate all B.0.A.C. aircraft being re-routed via West Africa, with If the present services subsequent reduction in pay load. through the Mediterranean and via West Africa are maintained, and 700 kilos of troop mail per flight are accepted, our average
2 passenger lift to the Middle East will be reduced to 12. passengers per week, as compared to 16.3 passengers per week which are now being carried.
8.
If all aircraft are routed via West Africa and 700 kilos of troop mail per flight accepted, passengers could only then be
This will reduce the carried in the B.0.A.C. Clippers.
passenger lift to the Middle East to a rate of approximately 8.7 passengers per week, compared to 16.3 which are being
If the same allocation of mail carriel at the present time.
is made in the Middle East for the return flights to England no passengers whatever could be carried unless they went via America in the Boeing Clippers.
9.
A more satisfactory method of allotting load for troop mail would be to allot it on a weekly basis rather than on a flight basis. Mail requirements can only be assessed on a time basis, and the number of flights being made bears no
The difficulty relationship with the mail requirements.
referred to in the above paragraph would be partially overcome if the troop mail requirements were made on a weekly basis.
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