Qantas Airways To Be

Nationalised Australian Government Buys Private Shares

rE Australian Government has decided to buy out Qantas Empire Airways Ltd. This was announced in Can berra by the Prime Minister on May 27.

The Federal Government already owns 50 per cent, of the shares in the company, having purchased them some months ago from the British Overseas Airways Cor poration. The remainder of the shares (which will be bought by the Government) are held by Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services Ltd., which in the early 1920’s laid the foundations of an airways organisation that has become one of the best in the world.

As well as Qantas’ far northern services in Australia, and England-Australia route commitments, the Company operates a service to Papua and New Guinea, and another, bv flying-boat, between Sydney- Noumea-Siiva. It is expected that when the Lancastrian planes at present used, are replaced by Constellations, Qantas will fly the whole route between Sydney and England instead of only part way, as at present: and that a parallel service will be maintained by BOAC with flying-boats.

It has been rumoured that Qantas will extend its Islands services, particularly to the Solomons and Nauru.

It would not be surprising if services to Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island were also contemplated. In May, in reply to a question as to why the veteran Pac ific airman, Mr. P. G. Taylor, was re fused a licence to operate a service to these islands, Australian Air Minister

Barnard said that the whole matter of such air services was under consideration.

Whether or not nationalisation of air lines is a desirable thing is a matter of personal opinion. The basic function of all air lines is to provide efficient service to the public at moderate cost. There has been, as yet. no indication that the overseas airline monopolies that the British, New Zealand and Australian Gov ernments have created have been of any more benefit to the public than if they were operated by private enterprise.

Fares on all these lines are, on a mileage basis, about 200 per cent, higher than on Australian domestic lines where compet ition is keen.