J. MILLARD TAWES, GOVERNOR                             1727

expired on February 1, 1959. This airline did not apply for renewal
and service was discontinued at the option of the airline as of that
date. The cities involved petitioned for renewal of service to the
Civil Aeronautics Board and after appropriate hearings this petition
was denied. The date of this denial, it is interesting to note is dated
February 28, 1961, over two years after service was discontinued.
The cities have twenty days from this date to file for petition for
reconsideration; and

Whereas, the seriousness of the current status of air carrier
service to the various major communities of our State indicates the
need for immediate study and action. The loss of and the inadequacy
of air carrier service has many implications insofar as our State is
concerned.

First, in this air age, the transportation availability affects the
economic stability of existing industry. Also, the lack of air carrier
service creates a deterrent to the economic development in an area
by the establishment of new industry.

Accessibility by air is as important to a vast segment of business
and industry today as rail accessibility was in the early years of the
economic and industrial growth in our State.

The increasing shift of commerce from rail to air is sufficient to
indicate the importance of air carrier service. It is logical to assume
that communities by-passed by the air routes of the country will, in
the future, not too distant, experience the same fate that communities
in the past experienced when by-passed by rail transportation. This
is of immediate concern, since now is the time when basic routes for
air commerce must be formed; and

Whereas, study of this problem would indicate that many factors
contribute to the reasons for this condition which now exists.

In following the activities of the Civil Aeronautics Board, the
Federal Agency charged with the responsibility of certification of air
carrier service, there is every indication that there is no long range
plan for air transportation on a state or federal basis. Also, there
is no indication that firm basic policies are employed in the promulga-
tion of basic decisions concerning air routes. These factors would
indicate administrative weakness which affects the future of many
established communities.

Procedures and methods used in air route determination appear
to be cumbersome and costly. The financial burden of proper and
successful petitions before the Civil Aeronautics Board becomes en-
tirely unjustified for smaller communities. This stems not only from
the requirements of the procedure, but also from the long delays
caused by the lack of active, timely determination by this Board.

Since competition is strong between airlines for certification to any
community, the successful airline is in effect awarded a public service
trust when selected as the carrier to serve a community. Evidence
brought to the attention of the State Aviation Commission would
indicate that this is not the case in many instances. Undependable
and unreliable service will not create a successful transportation
system. This enters the picture insofar as our communities are
concerned.