Your D.206. [2] Post-war aviation.

Commonwealth Government has carefully considered questions raised
by you and agrees that it is desirable for an approach to be made
to United States Government on this matter. We assume that if
response is favourable early approach will also be made to
U.S.S.R. and United Nations.

2. Our view is that the starting point should be an affirmation
that civil aviation is subject to those principles of
International collaboration which we also hope to see applied to
the related problems of a world system of security and post-war
economic re-organisation. Feel that if any major post-war issue
such as civil aviation is decided ad hoc along the lines merely of
national interest the general hopes for the settlement of other
issues on the International plane will be undermined.

3. As regards the actual content of the approach, we fear that the
presentation to the United States of a simple proposal for full
internationalisation might arouse suspicion that it is aimed at
limiting their undoubted potential advantages in air
transportation and might immediately lead to the presentation of
an alternative plan designed to conserve purely American
interests. We would prefer a more general approach on the issue
whether or not the principles and spirit of International
collaboration which United States spokesmen have affirmed apply to
civil aviation, and if so whether the United States would co-
operate in considering ways and means by which such collaboration
may be brought about for mutual benefit.

4. For its own part the Commonwealth Government holds the
preliminary view that International collaboration in civil
aviation for mutual benefit might best be secured through:

(a) General inclusion of all air transport services within the
terms of a convention which would supersede and take over the
powers of the International Convention on Aerial Navigation with
powers revised and extended to control all International Air
Transport.

(b) Actual operation of certain services (i.e. main International
routes) by an International Air Transport Authority. Such a system
should, we consider, be framed to allow:

(a) Devolution by the International Authority of its management
either within regions or on particular routes.

(b) Special arrangements for the conduct of internal services and
the conduct of short local services between neighbouring countries
under bilateral or multilateral agreements subject to supervision
by the International Authority.

5. We would emphasize that these are preliminary general ideas
only, and would hope to be able to make a contribution to
practical details of such a scheme at the appropriate time. It
seems evident that the settlement of such details will depend
partly on the parallel elaboration of a general system of
security.