740.00119 Control (Germany)/12–1145
Note by the Allied
Secretariat to the Allied Control
Authority Coordinating Committee
70
CORC/P(45)170
[Berlin,] 22 November 1945.
Report of the Air Directorate on the Creation of a
System of Air Corridors To Be Used for Flights in the Respective
Zones of Occupation in Germany
The attached report on the above subject is submitted by the Air
Directorate for consideration at the Twenty-Third Meeting of the
Coordinating Committee.
[Page 1577]
In this report the Air Directorate requests that the Coordinating
Committee approve the proposal of the Directorate for the creation of
air corridors to the west of Berlin, namely: Berlin–Hamburg,
Berlin–Bukehurg [Bückeburg],
Berlin-Frankfurt-on-Main; and also requests a decision on the principle
of creating air corridors to Berlin–Warsaw, Berlin–Prague, and
Berlin–Copenhagen, since no unanimous agreement could be reached by the
Directorate in regard to this question.
In addition, the Directorate requests the Coordinating Committee to
delegate to the Directorate the responsibility of safety measures and a
system to assure flights along air corridors approved by the
Coordinating Committee.
S. M. Kudriavtsev
,
1st Sec’y
H. A. Gerhardt
,
Colonel
T. N. Grazebrook
,
Brigadier
Monsieur L. J. Calvy
Allied Secretariat
[Annex]
Report of the Air Directorate Concerning the
Creation of a System of Air Corridors To Be Used for Flights in
the Respective Zones of Occupation in Germany
- 1.
- Because of the increasing number of flights between the
Greater Berlin area and the respective occupied zones of the
four Allied Powers in Germany and because their flights must
often be undertaken in conditions of poor visibility or at
night, involving risk of collisions; there is a real need to
ensure safety of flights over the occupied zones and the Greater
Berlin Area by means of a system of air corridors under strict
rules of flight for all aircraft using the corridors.
- 2.
- The Aviation Committee has prepared and submitted a paper to
the Air Directorate, based on the requests from the American,
British and French representatives for the setting up of a
system of air corridors, and designed to satisfy the
requirements of the Four Powers for flights over the occupied
Zones.
- 3.
- The Aviation Committee of the Air Directorate proposes six air
corridors over occupied Germany as follows:—
- Berlin–Hamburg
- Berlin–Hannover (Bückeburg)
- Berlin–Frankfurt on Main
- Berlin–Warsaw
- Berlin–Prague
- Berlin–Copenhagen
- each twenty English miles wide (ten miles on each side of the
centre line of the corridor) which could be used by aircraft of
the four Allied Nations with full freedom of action.
- 4.
- During discussion of this subject at the Meeting of the Air
Directorate:
- (a)
- The representative of the United States expressed
agreement with the proposals of the Aviation Committee
and recommended that a report compiled on the basis of
data worked out by the Aviation Committee, should be
submitted to the Coordinating Committee.
- (b)
- The British representative agreed that it was
necessary to produce a document for submission to the
Coordinating Committee but that this document should
include a proposal on the freedom of the air west of a
line drawn North and South through Berlin. If this could
not be agreed he requested the addition to the list of
air corridors proposed by the Aviation Committee of a
seventh corridor Bückeburg–Prague.
- (c)
- The French representative remarked that an
indispensable condition of the free use of the air
corridors must be adherence to the rules of air
communications.
- (d)
- The Soviet representative stated that the Air
Directorate could request the Coordinating Committee’s
confirmation of the air corridors Berlin–Hamburg,
Berlin–Bückeburg, and Berlin–Frankfurt on Main,
necessary to provide for the needs of the occupation
troops in the zone of Greater Berlin. Regarding the air
corridors Berlin–Warsaw, Berlin–Prague, and
Berlin–Copenhagen, as well as the seventh corridor
Bückeburg–Prague proposed by the British representative,
they are corridors for the usual inter-state traffic and
are not related to securing the needs of the occupying
forces in Berlin, therefore the question of their
creation can be discussed by the Air Directorate only on
the decision of higher Authority. Moreover present rules
of flight in the second group of air corridors are
suitable to all and do not need to be changed. In the
opinion of the Soviet representative, flights along all
corridors must be made in complete compliance with the
rules of flying safety to be compiled by the Aviation
Committee and approved by the Air Directorate.
- 5.
- After studying this question, the Air Directorate, at its 13th
Meeting (DAIR/M(45)13, Item 99 (b))
decided:
- (1)
- “…71 to submit to the
Coordinating Committee for approval the proposals of the
Aviation Committee concerning the air corridors West of
Berlin: Berlin–Hamburg, Berlin–Hannover (Bückeburg),
Berlin–Frankfurt on Main.
- (2)
- “to submit for decision in principle by higher
authority at the same time as the proposal of paragraph
(1), the question of the establishment of corridors
leading North, East and South from Berlin and of a
corridor Bückeburg–Prague.
- (3)
- “to instruct the Aviation Committee to compile rules
for safety of flight along the corridors referred to in
paragraph (1). These rules will be obligatory for all
aircraft flying along the corridors listed in paragraph
(1).”
- 6.
- Consequent on the above, the Air Directorate requests the
Coordinating Committee:
- (1)
- To confirm the proposals for the establishment of air
corridors West of Berlin as follows: Berlin–Hamburg,
Berlin–Bückeburg, Berlin–Frankfurt on Main, each twenty
English miles wide. Flight over these routes (corridors)
will be conducted without previous notice being given,
by aircraft of the nations governing Germany.
- (2)
- To instruct the Air Directorate to compile rules of
flight and means of safeguarding flights along the
corridors stated in para. (1) above.
- (3)
- To decide in principle or transmit for consideration
by appropriate higher authority, the question of the
establishment of the air corridors over occupied
Germany, Berlin–Warsaw, Berlin–Prague, Berlin–Copenhagen
and also the air corridor Bückeburg–Prague proposed by
the British representative, as indicated in annexed
Map* A). Flights
over these routes (corridors) will be conducted by
aircraft of the nations governing Germany without
previous notice being given.
- 7.
- The above proposals are framed to meet the requirements in the
immediate future as far as they can be now foreseen. It will
nevertheless be necessary to give further consideration to these
questions, from time to time, in accordance with the future
development of International air communications.
Lt. Gen. T. F. Kutzevalov
U.S.S.R.
Maj. Gen. R. W. Harper
U.S.A.
Air Marshal H. E. P. Wigglesworth
G.B.
Gen. De Division X. De Sevin
France
