IOR/L/PS/12/1954

The file contains correspondence relating to the efforts of the British Government to negotiate a renewal of Imperial Airways' concession to operate its United Kingdom (UK) to India international service over Southern Persia; the concession being due to expire in 1932. The file also covers the subsequent decision to abandon the South Persian route for an alternative along the coast of Arabia, and a request for a temporary permit from the Persian Government to fly via Persia during the transition. In connection with these topics, there is some discussion between British officials over Persia's obligations under the International Air Convention (or the Paris Convention, 1919), mainly with regard to the extent that Persia can object to foreign aircraft flying over its territory. The unsuitability of a route proposed by the Persian Government through Central Persia is also discussed.

Other topics covered to a lesser extent include: the question of the extent to which British aircraft have a right of passage over Persian territorial waters following the withdrawal of Imperial Airways (see folios 3-24), a proposal to request access to the Jask Aerodrome for Imperial Airways in an emergency (see folios 25-35), and a proposal from Imperial Airways to establish a landing ground at Shenast near Lingah [Bandar-e-Lengeh].

The file also contains two pages extracted from two – 8 and 22 October 1931 – separate issues of The Near East and India; see folios 174-5. A couple of Parliamentary Notices can also be found within the file; see folios 46 and 50.

The main correspondents are HM Minister at Tehran (Reginald Hervey Hoare) and officials of the Foreign Office. The file also contains some correspondence with the Persian Foreign Minister (Mirza Mohammed Ali Khan and Miraz Musa Khan Noury Esfandiary), representatives of Imperial Airways and Airworks Limited (Alan Muntz and George Edward Woods), and officials of the Air Ministry. The correspondence is periodically forwarded to the Under-Secretary of State for India by the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.

The file includes a divider which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.