Summary of a memorandum from the Department of Industry and Commerce to the Government regarding the International Civil Aviation Conference

SUMMARY

1. The United States Government have invited the Irish Government to participate in an International Civil Aviation Conference to take place in the United States beginning November 1st, 1944. The invitation has been extended to the following Governments and authorities:-
   • all members of the United Nations;
   • nations associated with the United Nations in the war;
   • the European and Asiatic neutral nations;
   • the Danish Minister and the Thai Mission in Washington, in personal capacities.
2. The Agenda of the conference is as follows:-
   1. (a) the establishment of provisional world route arrangements;
      (b) agreement to grant the landing and transit rights necessary for establishing the provisional route arrangements referred to at (a);
   2. the establishment of an interim council to act as the clearing house and advisory agency during the transitional period.
   3. agreement upon the principles to be followed in setting up a permanent international aeronautical body and a multilateral convention dealing with the fields of air transport, air navigation and aviation technical subjects; the constitution of three working committees dealing respectively with the establishment of routes and services, technical organisation and the drafting of the constitution of the new permanent body respectively.
3. Representation at the conference by a delegation consisting of Mr. John Leydon, Secretary, Department of Supplies, Mr. John Hearne, Department of External Affairs, and Mr. T. J. O'Driscoll, Department of Industry and Commerce, is recommended.
4. Little or no information is available regarding the nature of the discussions at the forthcoming conference and the vagueness of the Agenda headings precludes the Minister from putting forward more specific instructions for the delegation. He recommends, however, that the Government should approve of the following proposals:-
   • this country should be represented at the forthcoming conference by a delegation as detailed in paragraph 4;
   • every effort should be made by the delegation to have the Shannon Airport included on the main transatlantic air route and on a basis involving the maximum traffic thereat;
   • no objection should be made to the new principle of rights of transit and non-traffic stops without prior authorisation;
   • the intention that the Shannon Airport should be a free port for air transport should be declared forthwith;
   • the right of an Irish Company to operate over the Atlantic should be reserved;
   • the proposal to appoint an interim council should be accepted and Irish representation thereon should be sought and the setting up of regional councils should be supported;
   • the delegation should support any substantial feeling which shows itself to retain the substance of the existing International Convention and the technical organisation set up thereunder;
   • Irish representation should be sought on the three working committees to be set up under the interim council;
   • In general the delegation should propose or support all such steps as in their opinion, favour the development of the Shannon Airport and the possibility of Irish operations on the transatlantic main service and connecting services.