AUSTRALIAN AVIATION

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 72, 7 January 1936, Page 6

AUSTRALIAN AVIATION

GROWTH OF THE SERVICES.

(Special to the "Guardian.") AUCKLAND, January 6

Recent developments in commercial aviation in Australia were reviewed by Captain F. W. Haig, chief aviation officer to the Vacuum Oil Company, Ltd., in Australia and New Zealand, on his arrival from Sydney by the Aorangi. Captain Haig, who is a through passenger, will visit Canada and the United States to study modern aviation in all its aspects, and may also continue to England. "The romantic age in aviation has definitely finished in Australia, and commercial flying has reached the utility stage where its acceptance by the travelling, and investing public is governed by its performance,'' Captain Haig said. Two powerful shipping concerns, Holyman Bros., of Launceston, and the Adelaide Steam Ship Company, have entered aviation in Australia recently, and their decision had made a very good impression on the public. '"Last November, when Adelaide Airways inaugurated their AdelaideMelbourne service, this completed the long-visualised link in air-lines round Australia, which is now completely encircled by lines flown regularly to schedule," he continued. "Air. lines in Australia are now some 17,000 miles long, and allowing for not being able to effect immediate connections, it is possible to fly round the Commonwealth in 11 days at a cost of about £60." All the services, he said, were in a very healthy position, and passenger traffic, in spite of recent mishaps, was definitely on the increase. A pleasing feature was the reduction in .subsidies paid now as compared with three or four years ago. They were less than half, in spite of the operators using more expensive fuel. A big step torward would take place next March, when the Douglas air-liner ordered by the Holymans Airways was placed on the Melbourne-Launceston run. ims would, enable the trip to be made in less than an hour and a half, with 14 passengers.