asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation to what extent a civil air service has been regularly maintained between India and Australia since the entry of Japan into the war.

Normal air communications between India and Australia were interrupted early in 1942 by the Japanese invasion. An alternative service between Karachi and Perth via Ceylon was established in 1943 for war purposes and is at present operating to a frequency of one service a week between Karachi and Perth, and three services a week between Ceylon and Perth. This Commonwealth service is the longest non-stop trans-ocean service in the world, 3,600 miles, and my Noble Friend would like to pay a high tribute to the personnel who pioneered and are operating this service.