WEST INDIAN AIR TRANSPORT COMMITTEE

Report on the Opportunities for Civil Air Transport in the West Indies

Presented by the Secretary of State

for Air to Parliament by
Command of His Majesty
September 1927

LONDON:

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1927

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Air Vice-Marshal Sir W. Sefton Brancker, Air Ministry.
K.C.B., A.F.C. (Chairman).

Mr. F. G. L. Bertram, C.B.E.

C.M.G...

Lieut.-Colonel I. A. E. Edwards, C.M.G...

Mr. R. A. Wiseman ..
Major J. McEwan Martin

"

TERMS OF REFERENCE.

"To consider generally what opportunities exist for the operation of civil air transport in the neighbourhood of the West Indies."

[No expenditure has been incurred in connection with this Report other than the cost of printing and publishing, which is estimated by the Stationery Office at £25 18s. 3d.]

(28647) Wt.12003/760 1125 11/27 Harrow G.1/27

A 2

SECRETARY OF STATE FOR AIR.

IN

N view of the various proposals, both British and foreign, which have from time to time been put forward for the operation of civil air services in or over the British West Indies and also in view of the success which has attended the operations in Colombia of the Sociedad Colombo-Alemana de Transportes Aereos (S.C.A.D.T.A.) who now contemplate an extension of their services, it seemed very desirable that the possibilities of Air Transport in the British West Indies should be closely investigated.

In consultation with the Secretary of State for the Colonies, I therefore appointed the West Indian Air Transport Committee to consider this question. Their Report, set out below, constitutes a valuable survey of the opportunities which exist for civil aviation in these colonies, and the establishment at an early date of air services on the lines they recommend would undoubtedly be most welcome.

Certain passages in the Report, as presented, contained estimates of the subsidies which such services might require from public funds, and of the extent to which the administrations concerned might provide them. It has seemed wiser, in publishing the Report, to omit passages which relate to hypothetical Government action and necessarily raise somewhat wide political issues.

Air Ministry,

4th October, 1927.

(Signed) SAMUEL HOARE.