811.79641/11–1945
The Department of State to the British Embassy
Memorandum
Reference is made to the Embassy’s aide-mémoire of November 19, 194531 regarding commercial air services at present being operated by American carriers between the United States and the United Kingdom. The Department further acknowledges a letter dated November 24, 194532 from the Civil Air Attaché of the British Embassy addressed to an official of this Department, explanatory of the aide-mémoire referred to above, and the memorandum dated November 2T, 1945.
From these documents and from conversations with officials of the British Government, it appears that the British Government is insistent that pending the conclusion of an inter-governmental agreement American carriers shall operate only a limited number of frequencies with commercial rights in the United Kingdom on a trans-Atlantic service and that these operations shall be dependent upon prior agreement upon fares between the American operators and His Majesty’s Government, and also that in the event prior agreement upon fares is not reached with the carriers, His Majesty’s Government will restrict services to the United Kingdom to the two a week operated by Pan American Airways under the 1937 Agreement.
The United States Government is most anxious to do everything possible to further the development of international air transport services upon what it considers to be sound, economic principles. The United States Government however is unable to accept the British conditions for such operations (as set forth in the British aide-mémoire of November 13, 1945) even for an interim period. At the same time, the United States Government recognizes the problem which is created for the British Government if American air carriers seek to operate on a basis unacceptable to the British Government.
[Page 238]The basis upon which the United States Government desires to see international air services conducted is as set forth in bilateral agreements signed during the past twelve months with various European nations33 with all of which agreements it is believed the British Government is familiar.
However, the United States Government recognizes that in the absence of an agreement between the two Governments covering air transportation matters, the United States carriers can serve the United Kingdom only upon such conditions as the British Government may prescribe.
Accordingly, the United States Government will interpose no objection to its carriers continuing operations to the United Kingdom for the present upon such conditions as the British Government may prescribe.
The United States Government requests that such frequencies as the British Government may now permit to be operated by United States carriers in addition to the two provided under the 1937 Agreement, shall be made available to the United States Government, which will in turn apportion them among the United States carriers certificated to operate to the United Kingdom.
In the meantime the appropriate authorities of the United States Government will study the problem of reasonable and economic rates for trans-Atlantic operations between the United States and the United Kingdom, and will submit the results for the information of the British Government at an early date.
The United States Government reiterates its hope that it may be possible for representatives of the two Governments to meet at an early date in an effort to reach a satisfactory agreement covering all phases of international air transport between the two countries.