Communications and transit > Economics of air transport in Europe

13
CHAPTER I.
TRAFFIC RESULTS OBTAINED IN EUROPE FROM 1930 TO 1932 INCLUSIVE
BY THE CONTRACTUAL AIR TRANSPORT COMPANIES.
By the term “ Europe ” is meant the land and sea area taken into consideration
by the Sub-Committee in studying the “ permanent network This restriction has,
in several cases, made it necessary to split up certain traffic results and include only a
part thereof in our tables or graphs. The uncertain figure in respect of these results is
printed in italics, its source being indicated, in the table or graph.
As a whole, it has been possible to calculate accurately the traffic results in
kilometric tons per category of freight for 1932. These figures, which have been
summarised in Table /, have served as a basis for mv interpretation of the development
of the traffic in quantities. (See Table I attached.)
As regards the financial results (subsidies and receipts from customers), the replies
received were usually very complete and very definite. Unfortunately, Germany
gave only the approximate total for subsidies and a percentage of that figure for
receipts from customers, which I have endeavoured to analyse more fully. The
United Kingdom gave the exact amounts of the aggregate subsidies, but was only
a.ble to furnish the total (subsidies plus traffic receipts) for European or long-distance
lines as a whole. Lastly, Italy, which supplied the particulars requested in greater
detail, only did so as regards the lines of her system coinciding with the lines included
m the “ mam network ” studied by the Sub-Committee. Therefore, in the case of
three out of the four countries which, from the point of view of the quantities of traffic
produced in the network under consideration, are of much greater importance than all
the rest, the data at the disposal of the Rapporteur were uncertain.
In any case, the financial results are dealt with in the three Tables II, III, IV
(see inside of folder opposite), each covering one year. In compiling these documents,
t e two values of each amount, in national currency and in French francs, have been
placed side by side, with a view to the insertion of a comparable total for each category
Tabled)' ^xc^an^e va^ue • October of the year under review1 ; see Recapitulatory
Lastly on the basis (1) of the quantities of freight (produced and utilised) in
kilometric tons and (2) of the revenue of the companies (subsidies and receipts from
customers) in French francs, the trend of these results, from 1930 to 1932 inclusive has
been indicated in Graphs 1 and 2.
Approximate, and sometimes even conjectural, values are given in too many
cases in these documents. I shall be pleased to receive corrected figures from the
authorities concerned. Nevertheless, even as they stand, these estimates and values
represent (with a very tolerable coefficient of error) facts which it had hitherto been
impossible to compare properly.
The Italian Government has rightly pointed out that, if the annual average exchange rate is adooted
thm?aht I'nb e~eV6n+ hOUgl1 tIle difference is vejT slight—factor of comparison is obtained. I have not
ought it necessary to recalculate each figure in Table II for the final edition of the Report.