Salt Lake Telegram | 1941-06-18 | Page 6 | Way Station on the Air Lanes

v Way Station on the Air Lanes A A. A STORY from Rock Springs Wyo reveals A I that the United Air Lines may establish the new municipal airport to be built soon at the Wyoming city ity as the eastern terminus of the Portland branch of United Air Lines thus reducing flight time between Portland and eastern points by an hour Th The Portland flights would join the main U. U A. A L. L line at atRock atRock Rock Hock Sprin Springs s. s At present Salt Lake City is the junction point for the Portland branch of United All Allair Allair Allair air traffic to and from the northwest joins the main line at this city Thus it seems that another blow to 10 Salt Lake City's position as the air transportation center of the west i is is' in the offing Already some through planes are passing over Salt Lake City on the flight between San Francisco Francisco Fran Fran- Francisco cisco and Denver A new route direct to Los Angeles from Demer Denver is being planned which will divert a major portion of Los Angeles traffic traffic fic lie now passing through Salt Lake City away from this city Now we face the prospect of l losing sing our position as main junction point for air traffic on United between the Pacific t northwest and the east r f It doesn't look very good Of course it Is argued that these changes are just a natural result of progress in air transportation and arid the necessity for speeding up through travel by shortening i- i routes utes wherever possible and eliminating all possible stops That may be ie true It may even be true that we cannot hope to stop this trend Nevertheless the fact remains all these new developments are unfavorable to Salt Lake City No routes are shortened or stops eliminated to our advantage Salt Lake City the air crossroads of the west is slowly but surely losing that position and drifting toward the status of a mere way station on the air lanes and a local junction point The handwriting is already plain on the wall Pretty soon it will be baked on there indelibly indeliblY maybe it is already But if we can do anything to halt this trend and to protect protect protect pro pro- and maintain our position as the air center center center cen cen- ter of the west wed we'd better be doing it pretty fast or it will be too late