Viewing page 194 of 507

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

HELICOPTER AIR SERVICE PROGRAM    185

the next witness at this time, Mr. Robert L. Cummings, president of the New York Airways.

As is customary, we will take the Senators as they come in and endeavor not to interrupt any witnesses, but intersperse the Senators as they might arise between the scheduled witnesses. 

We are happy to have you, Mr. Cummings. We apologize for not getting to you yesterday.

STATEMENT OF MR. ROBERT L. CUMMINGS, PRESIDENT OF NEW YORK AIRWAYS; ACCOMPANIED BY MR. WILLIAM HOGAN, VICE PRESIDENT AND TREASURER, AND MR. JACK GALLAGHER, VICE PRESIDENT, NEW YORK AIRWAYS

MR. CUMMINGS. My name is Robert Cummings. I am president of New York Airways. On my right is Mr. William Hogan, vice president and treasurer of our company. On my left is Mr. Jack Gallagher, who is vice president in charge of our operating problems and solutions. 

We appreciate very much, Senator Monroney, your time and interest in our problem which obviously is of extremely serious nature. 

It is actually the first time and we are, therefore, doubly grateful that we have had a chance to report to the people of the U.S. Congress, whom we consider, in fact, our board of directors and our principal stockholder. We appreciate this immensely, and we are terribly grateful for this time. We are only sorry that we haven't had other occasions on which to do it, and the situation of the present characteristics had to develop apparently before we were able to discuss this with you. We have submitted a formal document which I believe you have.

SENATOR MONRONEY. We will include this as though it were completely read, if that is satisfactory to you, and then you may come back and highlight it, which will also appear in the documentation. We will print it complete as it is and we will follow by your oral testimony.

(The statement follows:)

TESTIMONY OF ROBERT L. CUMMINGS ON BEHALF OF NEW YORK AIRWAYS

New York Airways supports the program of the Civil Aeronautics Board for elimination of subsidy in 1970, and declining subsidy payments in the interim period. Under the Board's program, the three carriers would receive a total of $11.4 million between January 1, 1966, and July 31, 1970. The annual average cost per carrier is less than the cost of 1 mile of the highways constructed under the Federal highway program. 

The certificated helicopter carriers constitute the only organized and sustained effort to develop vertical-lift type of aircraft and to establish viable means for the provision of the type of "ultra short-haul" air transportation essential to resolve the difficult problems of air service to airports, between airports and between city centers. Although of rapidly increasing significance, the transportation services which these carriers currently provide might be considered no more than a necessary incident to the important developmental function they are performing. Without the limited subsidy  support provided by the Board's program, this effort will be eliminated and the experience and skill attained in 43 years of collective operations dissipated. The benefit from the $50 million which has already been spent will be severely diluted. The loss would be particularly unfortunate since the last few years have seen important and long-sought break-throughs in the development of vertical lift transportation. The realization of the full benefits of the vertical lift program requires that we have sufficient government support to 

45-504-65-13