During the preparation of this paper within the present stringent financial climate in the industry I have been deeply conscious of time and cost, since it is much more difficult these days to give the time and also to justify the cost of an activity of this nature.

Initially it was intended to examine the contribution of the aircraft designer to the improvement of those phases of the total journey over which the designer could have a direct influence. However, the organising committee had other thoughts and has requested that I should point up those aspects where, despite the efforts of the aircraft manufacturers to improve their product by reducing airborne times and real costs, many of the resulting benefits appear to have been frittered away and lost within the surface phases of the total system.