Skip to item: of 430
Information about this record Back to top
Open in Universal viewer
Open in Mirador IIIF viewer

'File 13/2 VII Air facilities in Arab shaikhdoms' [‎83r] (165/430)

This item is part of

The record is made up of 1 file (212 folios). It was created in 20 Sep 1945-25 Aug 1946. It was written in English, Arabic and French. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .

Transcription

This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.

Apply page layout

The 18th of April, 1946,
Will you please refer fco your Demi-official letter
No.652-29 dated the 26th March, 1946? r^; ^
In your letter No.458-29 of the 27th February, 1946,
you stated that His Highness wished for a revision in the
method of payment by foreign aircraft using Bahrain aero
dromes in such a way that the fees payable on such services
are calculated by tonnage ard not by services. In your
letter No.652-29 you say that His Highness had in mind a
revision of the basis upon which additional fees should be
paid and wishes to suggest that the payments should not
depend upon the number of extra services but should be
levied according to the cargo or passenger carrying capacity
of the aircraft. These two statements are contrary.
" S
3. From the Civil Air Agreement, all fees are collected,
including landing and housing fees and other charges specified
in Schedule II, by His Majesty's Government and the Shaikh
is paid a certain specified amount in lieu. It seems to
me that this is a very fair arrangement. In fact, it is
even more favourable to Bahrain than it was during the
time of the original making of the agreement for since
that time His Majesty's Government have paid hundreds of
thousands of pounds on ai'r communication facilities in
Bahrain, and the Bahrain State receives full benefit from
this and are in no way out of pocket. Although, as I have
said before, I don't fully understand what it is that the
Shaikh has in mind I do think that in view of the large
expenditure His Majesty's Government have put into the
aerodromes they would be unlikely to concede anything
appreciable in favour of the Bahrain Government for addi
tional services which, in any case, would not amount to
much, I think, in cash value particularly if applied only
to foreign aircraft.
4. ' I wish you would give this matter further thought,
and again let me know whether His Highness really considers
it worth while revising this very complicated macter after
consideration of the foregoing.
Yours sincerely,
C. Dalrymple Belgrave, Esq., C.B.E.,
Advisor to the Bahrain Government,
B A H R A IN .

About this item

Content

The file contains correspondence related to the negotiation of new or continuing civil air agreements between British Government representatives and the Sheikhs of Bahrain, Qatar and the Trucial States A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. . The main correspondents in the file are the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. in Bahrain (Major Arnold Crawshaw Galloway until July 1946, thereafter Hugh Rance), and the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. (Sir Geoffrey Prior until November 1945, Sir Rupert Hay thereafter).

The file begins with correspondence related to negotiations for the continuance of the Civil Air Agreement already in place between the British Government/British Overseas Air Corporation (BOAC) and the Government of Bahrain (see 'File 13/1 I Aerodrome at Bahrain' IOR/R/15/2/505 for the original agreement). Notes from a meeting that took place at the India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. in London on 9 October 1945, outline the British Government's reasons for wishing to extend the Agreement by seven years (folio 9).

Subsequent correspondence in the file relates to a number of new air routes proposed between Europe and India/Asia, which would entail increasing numbers of international aircraft passing over or refuelling on the Arab Gulf coast. These airlines included Transcontinental and Western Airlines (TWA), Air France, Morton Air Services Limited, and Dalmia Jain Airways. The Chicago Convention, an international code intended to coordinate and regulate international air travel, had been signed on 7 December 1944. Amongst its provisions was the need to accord equal rights to all aircraft flying over foreign territories. In response to the convention, the British Government had to seek the Arab coast sheikhs' agreement to conform to the Chicago code, in order to permit airlines such as TWA and Air France the right to fly over or land in the dominions. Copies of the letters sent by Galloway to the various sheikhs are included in the file (folios 41-48), along with the sheikhs' replies (folios 61-66, 70-71, 73-80). The file also includes a printed copy of an agreement between the British and French Governments relating to air transport between British and French territories, issued on 28 February 1946 (folios 129-140), and reports of TWA's plans to fly to Bombay via Saudi Arabia (folio 184).

Extent and format
1 file (212 folios)
Arrangement

The contents of the file have been arranged in approximate chronological order, running from the earliest items at the front of the file to the latest at the end.

There is a set of office notes at the end of the file (folios 199-213) which mirrors the chronological arrangement. The office notes comprise a numbered list of items contained in the volume. Each item is written in red or blue/black ink, dependent on whether it refers to an incoming (red) or outgoing (blue/black) piece of correspondence. The list references items in the file, marked either with corresponding red or blue numbers.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: The main foliation system starts on the front cover of the file, and runs to the inside back cover. It uses circled pencil numbers in the top-right corner of each recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. . There is a second foliation system which uses uncircled numbers, also in the top-right corner of each folio. This foliation system runs through most of the volume, merging occasionally with the main foliation system. Some items in the file are marked with circled red or blue crayon numbers, which constitute part of the original filing arrangement. Blue numbers are used for outgoing correspondence, red numbers for incoming correspondence.

Folio 66 is a fold-out.

Written in
English, Arabic and French in Latin and Arabic script
View the complete information for this record

Use and share this item

Share this item
Cite this item in your research

'File 13/2 VII Air facilities in Arab shaikhdoms' [‎83r] (165/430), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/2/507, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023848278.0x0000a6> [accessed 25 April 2024]

Link to this item
Embed this item

Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.

<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100023848278.0x0000a6">'File 13/2 VII Air facilities in Arab shaikhdoms' [&lrm;83r] (165/430)</a>
<a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100023848278.0x0000a6">
	<img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000241.0x0002ea/IOR_R_15_2_507_0165.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" />
</a>
IIIF details

This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000000241.0x0002ea/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images

Use and reuse
Download this image