Page 214 - Historical Summaries (Persian Gulf - Vol II) 1907-1953

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(c) Facilities for the Royal Air Force
89. Before the Second World War the Sultan readily granted the Royal Air
Force any facilities they asked for without consideration and permitted them to
import their requirements free of customs duty. During this period the Royal Air
Force constructed a number of airfields on the Batinah Coast and along the
Southern Coast of Arabia within the Sultan’s territory. An exchange of letters
covering the grant of facilities took place shortly after the signing of the Civil Air
Agreement in 1934. During the war all facilities required were granted as part
of the consideration for the War Subsidy (paragraph 19 above). After the war
the position was regularised by exchanges of letters (Appendix E (i) to (iv)) made at
the time of the signing of the Civil Air Agreement of 1947 (paragraph 92 below).
Under these the Royal Air Force are permitted to use and station personnel at the
Salalah and Masirah airfields only. The subsidy of £6,000 payable under the
Civil Air Agreement is held to cover all the facilities granted and the rent of the
area occupied at the time it was signed. The grant of facilities is to cease when
the present validity of the Civil Air Agreement expires, i.e., on April 5, 1954, unless
the Sultan accords specific permission for its extension and then only on such
conditions as may be determined by him. At the same time the Political Agent
wrote two letters to the Sultan accepting Special Rules laid down by him for the
conduct and security of personnel and passengers of air services and of the Royal
Air Force at Salalah and Masirah and conveying a number of assurances
(Appendix E (v) and (vi)). The rules cover such matters as movement after dark,
the flying of flags, smoking in the town, shooting and the importation of alcohol.
The assurances included amongst other things undertakings that on the expiry of
the Civil Air Agreement or of any extension of it all permanent buildings at Salalah
and Masirah would revert to the Sultan free of charge and that he would be supplied
with 10,000 rounds of small-arms ammunition annually during its currency. The
import free of duty of Royal Air Force requirements is covered by Article 6 (4) (c)
of the Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation.^35)
90. Detachments of the Royal Air Force under the command of the Air
Officer Commanding, Aden, are maintained at the two airfields covered by the letters
together with a detachment of the Aden Protectorate Levies at Masirah. Since 1947
the Royal Air Force have not sought facilities elsewhere in Muscat territory.

(d) Civil Aviation
91. In 1929 the Sultan’s permission was obtained for the construction of an
aerodrome at Gwadur and its use by Imperial Airways, and he subsequently
authorised its use by Dutch and French aircraft. Gwadur was also used for a time
as a landing-place for Imperial Airways flying boats. The position was not
regularised until 1934 when a Civil Air Agreement was entered into with the Sultan
whereby he granted His Majesty’s Government exclusive rights to establish and
maintain aerodromes in his territory as his agents. Under it his formal authorisa­
tion had to be obtained for any scheduled services and his agreement was required
to the use of the aerodromes by aircraft other than British. A subsidy of £500 a
year was provided for in the Agreement, and this was paid with effect from 1929.
There appears to have been a private understanding that this sum was to cover the
use of Gwadur and Shinas only and that if any other aerodromes were taken into
use it would be increased. The amount was raised to £1,000 for 1935 owing to the
increased use of Gwadur for aircraft landings. The Agreement was for four years
only and it was not renewed when it expired in 1938 as the use of Gwadur had by
then ceased except for emergency purposes. It was accompanied by Air Navigation
Regulations which in 1936 were enforced against persons subject to His Majesty's
jurisdiction by a King’s Regulation.(,3C)
92. During the war the Royal Air Force established aerodromes at Salalah
in Dhofar and on Masirah Island, and in 1946 the British Overseas Airways
Corporation were making regular use of these. Negotiations were accordingly
started for a new Civil Air Agreement. At the beginning of 1947 the British
Overseas Airways Corporation abandoned the use of these aerodromes, but it
was decided to continue the negotiations and to keep the aerodromes open for
civil aviation.C37) The agreement was signed on April 5, 1947.(,3‘) It repeats the
(,ss) No. 11 V. T.C.
(**•) No. 1 of 1936.
<*") I.O. toF.O. Ext. 141/47 of January 28. 1947 (W 735/16/802 of 1947).
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