Coll 5/40 ‘Air Route to India (Persian Gulf): Increase in frequency of Imperial Airways Service’ [‎4r] (7/38)

requested to ascertain and reoort by telegraph whether
such visits v/ould be welcomeo A tentative draft oi a
meinorandurfi outlining the position for transmission to Hn. *.
Reoresentatives is attached hereto* The draft would require
slight adjustments for the three cases 9 and a schedule
aoorooriate to each country would be aopended, giving derails
of the orovision which aopears to be desirable and the
probable cost* These schedules will be available for
consideration at the meeting on March ?2 y if desired,. In
general it may be stated that the total caoitsl cosu is
estimated at £8,0f0 for ^gyoty and h?8$0 (. for Iraq ft
case of Palestine is comolicated somewhat by the fact that
arrangements are understood to be already in contemolation
for new airports at i ydda and Haitaj, which wxll largely
meet the situation* combined with certain intermediate
beacons v which it is believed can be obtained without
difficulty by arrangements with the Cil Companies,. There
remains* however, the problem of whether Gaza should be
retained as a norfc of call and* if so s . whether additional
equipment will not be necessary to the extent of £6,cr0v
In addition* there is the question of Transjordania* where
equioment is required to the value of roughly £lC y OOC<, It
should be observed, parenthetically, that these estimates
costs are necessarily somewhat Hypothetical at this
stage o Reliable estimates can only be formulated in the
light of discussion of the requirements on the spot,.
The case of Transjordania will clearly call for
acceptance by the Air .Ministry of the major responsibility
for the cost, having regard to the conditions obtaining in
that country- Similarly the Air Ministry will need to
meet the cost of the facilities between Basra and Gwadar s
where India take over responsibility*
It v:ill however