INTER-AMERICAN AIR TRANSPORTATION ' > " ' Beverly J
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Inter-American air transportation Item Type text; Thesis-Reproduction (electronic) Authors Wilkinson, Beverly J., 1924- Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 23/09/2021 15:23:44 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/318947 INTER-AMERICAN AIR TRANSPORTATION ' > " ' ■ Beverly J„ Wilkinson A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of the DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS In the Graduate College THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 1 9 6 3 STATEMENT BY AUTHOR This thesis has been submitted in partial fulfillment of re quirements for an advanced degree at The University of Arizona and is deposited in The University Library to be made available to bor rowers under rules of the Library. Brief quotations from this thesis are allowable without special permission, provided that accurate acknowledgment of source i s made. Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the head of the major department or the Dean of the Graduate College when in their judgment the proposed use of the material is in the interests of scholarship. In all other instances, however, permission must be obtained from the author. SIGNED: H - v APPROVAL BY THESIS DIRECTOR This thesis has been approved on the date shown below: / ? M l ?. gIIbert " gIfford / rate ' ' Professor of EconomdLc^ TABLE OF CONTENTS IITRODBCTION Chapter I . HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF LATIN AMERICAN AVIATION 1 . Advent-, of Aviation » . „ = o <> » <■ 0 » o « o » = » 1 National Development and Inter-American 0000 0 000.0 00000000000 3 I I IMPORTANCE OF INTER-AMERICAN AIR TRANSPORTATION o » ? , . P o litic a l» Social and. Commercial Srerfch e'.» » » » 7 Seographic Ties ooooooooooooooooo ^ Eccnomic Rel ations o o o o o o o p o o o o o o o11 I I I TOURISM 000 0.0 OOOOOOOO OOOOOOOO O 13 Development of Inter-American A ir Travel 0000 15 Promoting Latin.American Tourism 00000000 if IV INTER-AMERICAN AIR TRANSPGRTATIGN EXPANSION PROBLEMS, o 0.0 0-0 o o 00.0 o o o o o o 0 0 o 0 22 Economic and Safety Problems 0000000000 22 South American Pooling Plans 0000000000 25 V PRESENT STATUS OF A ll SERVICES IN MEXICO, CENTRAL AMERICA., AND THE CARIBBEAN 00000000,000 26 Bahamas, Bermuda, and B ritish West Indies , , , , 29 British Hondurasooooooooooooooooo3® Costa Rica, 000000 , , © o o , , o , o , © © 3U Dominican Republic otoco,,,,,,,,,, 31 El Salvador ooooooooooooooooo o,3^ French West Indies 000000000000000 33 Guatemala © © o © © , o © © © © © o o 0 , © © © © 3^* H aiti ©©©©©OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OO - 37 Honduras ©©ooooooooooooooooo©37 Me3ClC0 O © O O © 00 p o o O O 0 0 0 O O © o O 0 0 36 Netherlands Antilles ooo©©©©©©©©©©. 40 Nicaragua ooooooooooooooooo©©©40 Panamao © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © 41 Chapter VI PRESEMT STATUS OF AIR SERVICES IK SOUTH AMERICA « „ A3 Arg eiittna ooooooopoooooooooooo AA Bolivaa oppQoopopopopoooooooo A8 BraZ%I 00 0 0 b o o -60000000P O 0 000 3^ Chile 000000 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 3^ Colombia © 00000 0000.00 00000 00 o ^0 Feaa8iOr © o © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © 62 Paraguay ©©ooo©©©©©©©©©©©©©©© 6A Peru 00 ©000 oooooooooooooooo Uruguay ©o©©© oooooooooooooooo 7U Venezuela o © © © © © o o © © © © © © o 0 © © © © VII STATUS OF IMTER-AMERICAN A ll SERVICES IK THE UKITED STATES 00© 00 oooooooooooooooo O 73 UoS© S tate Department © © © © © © © © © © © © © © 73 U0S0- International Air Transport Policy © © © © © 76 U.S. Policies in Relation to latin America © © © 80 UoS© A irlines in la tin America© © © © © © © © © © 8S Prcanotion Programs © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © , 89 VIII XATIH AMERICAN A ll TRANSPORTATION PROBLEMS © © © © © 91 OAS Study © 0.0 © © © © © © o © © © o © © © © o © 91 Evaluation of Services Needed for the Future © © 9A . ABSTRACT IWTER-AMERI GAM A ll TRANSPORTATION by Beverly J6 Wilkinson The impact of technological development has increased the potential usefulness of air transportation to Latin America, The changing characteristics of aircraft and air traffic have reduced the ability of individual cbumtries to maintain traditional» independent air transport policies. Economic and technical cooperation between nations is now needed to secure the benefits of improved aircraft technology. Coordination within Latin America is limited by the relatively low level of traffic between the various countries. The areas for early coordination are between Latin American countries and European and North American airlines. This is a study of the existing air transportation systems in Latin America and their relationships with the air transporta tio n system of the United S tates. The major economic fa c to rs a ffe c t ing the future development and coordination of Latin American national air transportation policies are identified. The main factors which Latin American countries should consider in determining their domestic and international air transportation policies are examinedo United States air transportation policy is considered in the formulation of a sound regional and intercontinental coordina tion of air transportation. This study defines the basic issues to be considered by Latin American nations in formulating their own air transportation policies and developing coordinated programs with other nations. INTEOBWeriON Air transportati on ties between North America9 Central Araeriea» and South Ameriea are vitally important from a political and social point of viewi, as well as in their eemmereial significance 0 Perhaps the greatest benefit that will accrue from air transportation within the Western Hemisphere w ill be closer human contacts engendered between country and country, province and province, and the spread and cross^fertilization of ideas» This is a study of the existing air transportation systems in the Americas» and of those factors which will affect the future development of such systems» The relationships of the United States air transportation system, and air policies, with those of Latin America are examined. The foundations for the future coordination of Latin American and United States air transportation policies over the coming years w ill be suggested, in possible solutions of the present problems« CHA.PT EE I HSTOHG&L DEfELOPMEHT OF LATIN AMERICAN AVIATION I 0 Advent of Aviation A drama tie scene enacted on the desolate dunes of titty Hawks, North Carolina just sixty years agos, on December 17, 1903, affected the entire world0 The Wright brothers realized man8 s age-old dream of lifting himself into the air ©n wings* On that date the Wrights made four successful flights, the longest of which covered a distance of 852 feet and lasted 59 seconds* Orville Wright said® "This was the first time in the history of the world that a machine carrying a man and driven by a motor had lifted itself from the ground in free flight* Little more than a half-century ago the age of powered flight dawned» Nowhere in the world was the advent of aviation to prove a g reater boon than in Latin America* For nowhere in the world was over land travel more difficult or time-consuming than on the South American continent® split from the Caribbean to Gape Horn by the massive ranges of the Andes risin g to more than 20„000 fe e t, knotted with transverse ridgess and with vast deserts, plains, and impenetrable jungles stretch ing to the east and west* Man depended upon pack trains of burros and llamas for transporting merchandise overland, as in centuries past* Then came the miracle of winged flight conquering the mighty Andes, the jungle forests of the Amazon and Matto Grosso, shrinking travel time from months to hours* In the first decade of the 20th century the airmen of the lew World showed the Old World how to fly heavier-than-air c ra ft. In Europe* a t the turn, of the century, another American was taking to the air over >aris—first in balloons and dirigibles* then in heavier than-air craft. He was Brazil*# pioneer airman, Alberto Santo Dumont This wealthy Brazilian of French descent dedicated his life to the science of flying» starting in 1897 in Paris, then the center of aeronautics. On October 19, 1901, Santo Dumont navigated his engine- driven dirigible in a circle around the Eiffel Tower to win the coveted prize of 100*000 francs offered to the first to accomplish th is fe a t. Five years la te r oti December 13, 1906, a crowd watched him‘lift his frail flying machine above the green fields of Bagatelle France, and fly 23 feet before the plane settled to the ground. Two months later* the intrepid Brazilian made an official flight under ■ 1 ■ the auspices of the Aero Club of France* covering 235 yards in 21 |r seconds. On September 23, 1910, Jorge Chavez, the pioneer Peruvian flyer, made the first crossing of the Alps by airplane. His flight from Switzerland to Italy had a tragic ending, for Chavez was fatally injured in the crash landing. The answer to Latin Americans age-old problem of communication had been found in air transport. The airmen of North and South America, of France and Germany, proved, i t to Latin American govern ments and their citizens in the 8-year period after World War I, The transition from mulebaek to cockpit was swift and dramatic in Latin America for Americans below the Rio Grande took to the air like ducks to water—faster than did people in the United States. Mexico City was the first capital on the American continent to have airmail service sta rte d in 191? by a domestic line* Colombia was the f i r s t American republic to have a commercial airline, founded in 19-1.9* This airline is known today as AVTANCA and is believed to be the oldest commercial line in continuous operation in the world« As in the United States g air transport in Latin America was pioneered by individual airmemo They were barnstormers in search of adventure, pilots of the first World War, erop-dusters, and mechanics who arrived with aircraft sold by foreign manufacturing companies.