Air minister, 1940–1941 thumb|upright|McEwen in 1940 On 16 October 1940, McEwen was appointed Minister for Air and Minister for Civil Aviation in a post-election cabinet reshuffle. Fadden had been acting in the portfolios for several months following the death of James Fairbairn, who had been one of three government ministers killed in the Canberra air disaster in August 1940. McEwen remained as air and civil aviation minister until the defeat of the Fadden government in October 1941, with Fadden having succeeded as prime minister upon Menzies' resignation in August 1941.
Air minister, 1940–1941 thumb|upright|McEwen in 1940 On 16 October 1940 McEwen was appointed Minister for Air and Minister for Civil Aviation in a post-election cabinet reshuffle. Fadden had been acting in the portfolios for several months following the death of James Fairbairn, who had been one of three government ministers killed in the Canberra air disaster in August 1940. McEwen remained as air and civil aviation minister until the defeat of the Fadden government in October 1941, with Fadden having succeeded as prime minister upon Menzies' resignation in August 1941