Transatlantic Daredevil

For five years American Export Airlines was the only U.S. airline without a transport plane. Now it has the planes, but no Government mail contract. So last week it was steeling itself for a daredevil stunt: transatlantic service without a subsidy.

Excepting a mail contract, Am Ex has all the musts for transatlantic flying. Last week it proudly showed newsmen one near-finished $700,000 flying boat, the hulls of two sister boats abuilding in United Aircraft's Vought-Sikorsky plant. Besides these, Am Ex has CAB approval of its proposed New York-to-Lisbon run; the State Department has guaranteed landing rights in Lisbon; it has leased for 40 years (and $1,400,000) hangar space at La-Guardia Airport; it has trained personnel.

Am Ex might have started winging the Atlantic a year ago had it not been for the relentless opposition of PanAmerican Airways and the desire of some Congressmen to "economize " Am Ex will still have rough flying. If the maximum load of 40 passengers pays $525 each, a one-way trip will bring in $21,000, actually $600 less than Pan Am gets for toting just mail on two of its three weeklyflights (mail pay for the third flight: $13,800). Thus Pan Am revenuesstart where Am Ex's end.

Even so, Am Ex wants to start service. For one thing any incoming cash will help offset the huge obsolescence on its four-engined boats. More important, by flying the route, Am Ex can win its wings, thus dissolve the opposition's argument that only Pan Am is experienced.

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