LEAGUE OF NATIONS ORGANISATION FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND TRANSIT AIR TRANSPORT CO-OPERATION COMMITTEE SPECIAL SUB-COMMITTEE TO STUDY THE QUESTION OF THE CONSTITUTION AND OPERATION OF A MAIN NETWORK OF PERMANENT AIR ROUTES ECONOMICS OF AIR TRANSPORT IN EUROPE Report submitted to the Sub - Committee BY M. HENRI BOUCHÉ, Editor of L ’Aéronautique. Final Edition LEAGUE OF NATIONS Publications of the Communications and Transit Section ORGANISATION FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND TRANSIT. ENQUIRIES INTO THE ECONOMIC, ADMINISTRATIVE AND LEGAL SITUATION OF INTERNATIONAL AIR NAVIGATION. (Ser. L.o.N. P. 1930.V III.6) ..................................... 6/- $1.50 Contains the following articles : “ Present Economic Conditions of Civil Air Navigation ” , by M . H. B o u c h é , Editor of L ’Aéronautique, Paris. “ The Relations between Civil and Military Aviation ”, by Brigadier-General P. R. C. G roves C.B., C.M.G., D.S.O., R.A.F. (Retired), London. “ International Commercial Aviation and National Administration ”, by Dr. Hans O p p i k o f e r , Professor of the Faculty of Law, Director of the Institute of Aerial Law, Konigsberg. “ Principles of Public International Law applicable to Air Transport ", by M. Salvatore C a c o p a r d o , Chief of Section at the Italian Air Ministry, Rome. AIR TRANSPORT, CO-OPERATION COMMITTEE. Report on the First Session, held at Geneva from July 8th to 12th, 1930. (Ser. L.o.N. P. 1930.VIII.8) .......................................................................... 6d. $0.15 AIR TRANSPORT CO-OPERATION COMMITTEE. Report on the Second Session, held at Geneva from May gthto 12th, 1932. (Ser. L.o.N. P. 1932.VIII.3) .......................................................................... 6d. $0.15 STUDY CONCERNING THE PRESENT SITUATION IN REGARD TO PUBLICITY OF CIVIL AVIATION and Col­ lection of Provisions in Force concerning the Exchange or Publication of Information relating to Civil Aviation. (Ser. L.o.N. P. 1932. VIII.1) and two addenda. ........................................................... 1/- $0.25 COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE LAWS IN THE VARIOUS EUROPEAN COUNTRIES GOVERNING THE QUESTION OF CUSTOMS EXEMPTION FOR LIQUID FUEL USED BY MOTOR VEHICLES IN TRAFFIC BY LAND, RIVER, SEA AND AIR. (Ser. L.o.N. P. 1932.VIII.6) ....................................... gd. S0.20 rCommunicated to the Council Official No: C.97.M.44.1935-VIII. and the Members of the League.] Geneva, February ist, 1935. LEAGUE OF NATIONS ORGANISATION FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND TRANSIT air TRANSPORT CO-OPERA I ION COMMITTEE SPECIAL SUB COMMITTEE TO STUDY THE QUESTION OF THE CONSTITUTION AND OP^R TiON OF A MAIN NETWORK OF PERMANENT AIR ROUTES ECONOMICS OF AIR TRANSPORT IN EUROPE Report submitted to the Sub-Committee BY M. HENRI BOUCHÉ, Editor of L ’Aéronautique. Final Edition Series of League of Nations Publications VIII. TRANSIT 1935. VIII. 1. 1 rhe provisional edition of the Report dated December 28th, 1933, was circulated to European countries only. CONTENTS. Page A. T e x t. P r e f a c e ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 6 P a r t I. THE ECONOMIC EVOLUTION OF AIR TRANSPORT IN EUROPE, 1930-1933. Introduction................................................................................................................................................. 9 Chapter I . —Traffic Results obtained in Europe from 1930 to 1932 INCLUSIVE BY CONTRACTUAL AlR TRANSPORT COM PANIES............................... 13 Chapter I I .—Resources employed and how they are u s e d .................................... 20 Chapter I I I . — A tte m p t t o e x p la in t h e R e s u l t s .................................................................... 31 Chapter IV . —Means of Action on the Basis of these R esu lts ............................... 48 P a r t II. THE EVOLUTION OF AIR TRANSPORT IN EUROPE IN 1933. Co n c l u s i o n ............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 67 Annex : Tables A, B, C and D : Time of journey in hours, by surface transport, between sixty-seven towns of the territorial area considered, taken two by two ( 1 9 3 3 ) .............................................................................................................................Inset at end. B. Graphs and Insets. Map A.— Map of “ Main Network ” suggested in May 1 9 3 2 ...................................Opposite 9 Maps B, C, D and E.— Services according to Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter Tim e-tables (1932)......................................................................................... Opposite 42 * * * Table I.—Regular Air Traffic of Subsidised Companies : Quantities produced (1932)...................................................................................................................................... Opposite 13 S. d. N. 1.220 (F.) 1.085 fA.). 4 /3 5 . Imp. Réunies, Chambéry — 4 — Page Tables II, III and IV.—Revenue of Subsidised Regular Air Transport Companies Years 1930, 1931 and 1932 Opposite x2 Table V.—Exchange Values a d o p te d .............................................................................. ^ Table VI.—Capital invested in Companies for Contractual Air Transport .... 2I Table VII.—Direct Subsidies to Public Air Traffic in the European Territorial Area under co n sid eratio n .......................................................................... Opposite 22 Table V III.—Expenditure other than Direct Subsidies of European Air Transport in the Territorial Area under consideration............................................................. 23 Table IX .—Flying Material used by the Com panies..................................................... 24 Table X.—Flying Personnel employed by the Companies ....................................... 24 Table X I.—Maximum Total P e rs o n n e l.......................................................................... 25 Table X II.—Utilisation of Personnel on the European NetworK (1932)................. 26 Table X III.—Utilisation of Material on the European NetworK (1932)................. 27 Table XIV.—Summary of the Statistical Results of Contractual Air Transport in Europe and its Progress from 1930 to 1 9 3 2 ........................................................ 28 Table XV.—Receipts from Each Class of Freight shown as a Percentage of Total Receipts from C u sto m e rs........................................................................................... 38 Table XVI.—Financial Results of the Traffic on Certain Lines for 1932................. 39 Table XVII.—Seasonal Variation in the Number of Daily Services (Arrivals and D epartures)...................................................................................................................... 46 Table XVIII.—Average Distance flown (1930) per Category of fre ig h t................. 46 Table XIX.—Comparison of the Average Distances flown (in 1930 and 1932) by Category of F reig h t........................................................................................................ 47 Table XX.—Present Speed of Surface Transport and Possible Saving of Time by Rapid Air T ransport................................................................................................ 52 Table XXI.—Regular Air Transport of Subsidised Companies—Quantities of Transport produced in 1933....................................................................................... 68 Table XXIL—Comparative Positions of Concerns in 1932 and 1933 as regards “ Financial Autonomy ” ........................................................................................... °9 * * * ! age Graph I.—Development of the Approximate Quantities of Traffic for 1930 to 1932 on the European and Mediterranean S y stem .........................................' Opposite 14 Graph 2.—Variations in Receipts of Companies, from 1930 to 1932, in respect of the European and Mediterranean System................................................... Opposite 14 Graph 3.—Classification of Receipts from Customers in 1930, 1931 and 1932 . 17 Graph 4.—Coefficients of Utilisation of Tonnage, from 1930 to 1 9 3 2 ...................... 19 Graph 5.—Division of Receipts, in Percentages, for the Different Categories of Freight, for Each National Company, in 1930, 1931 and 1932 . Opposite 37 Graph 6.— Comparison of the Number of Passengers carried per Journey on the Spanish NetworK and on the European NetworK as a Whole (according to the Revista de Aeronautical)................................................................................................ 4 4 Graph 7.—Seasonal Variation in the Distances flown in Kilometres and the Quantities of Freight carried, per Category, on the Deutsche Lufthansa Network in 1932 45 Graph 8.—Table showing a Comparison between the Use for Travel of Railway (Day and Night) and Aircraft (Day)........................................................................... 54 Graph 9.—Volume of Traffic of the K.L.M., 1930-1933 in c lu s iv e ............................ 71 Graph 10.—Economic Return earned by the K.L.M., 1930-1933 inclusive . 71 — 6 — PREFACE. In 1934, the Secretary-General of the League of Nations sent to the Governments of European States a “ provisional edition ” of the present report requesting them