Nobody expected it; few at first believed it. But from Washington last week came news that the Civil Aeronautics Board had abruptly abandoned its four-year-old "No" policy, had actually invited all comers to bid for air routes over the Caribbean. Said the Board in Docket No. 778: "Any person desiring to render air transportation in the (Caribbean) area, and having equipment and personnel to inaugurate service immediately, may file . . . application for a temporary certificate. . . ."
CAB has never done anything like this before. Veteran airline operators expect CAB to squash new route applications, not promote them....