WANTED TO FLY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 153, 29 June 1940, Page 10

WANTED TO FLY.

AUCKLAND-SUVA. SIXTY REQUESTS MADE. CHARTER NOT POSSIBLE.

Since the sinking of the liner Niagara.. Tasman Empire Airways iiavo been inundated with inquiries from people who wished to charier one of the big flying-boats for a flight from Auckland to. Suva. It is learned that the charter price quoted was £1500—and that at that price there were GO people willing •to participate. To cater for the wishes of those prospective passengers it would have been necessary to run four trips. Eventually, however, the company - decided that it was not possible to comply with the requests. Asked' regarding the position this morning Mr. A. E. Robinson, : traffic superintendent for Tasman Airways at Auckland, stated that the reason the charter was not able to bo granted lay in the fact thai there were as yet only two flying-boats available for the Tasman service. One of these' was undergoing overhaul. The other was required to maintain the Tasman service. In addition there were other reasons associated with Government requirements. "Every effort was made by my company to assist the GO people wishing to travel in that way," ho said, "but we found that it was not possible to run. a charter trip to Suva under present circumstances." American Inquiries, Mr. Robinson said that among those making inquiries were a number of American business men and tourists at present in the Dominion. Owing to tho upset in the normal passenger shipping service these people were likely to bo held hero for a period of live weeks or so. They considered that it would pay them to pay the greater cost involved in a 'plane charter. i Elsewhere it was learned that among the . prospective passengers was an English business man who was anxious to return to his home in order to be with his wife and family in the present troublous times. A number of Pacific island residents were also inquiring regarding the possibility of flying to Suva. Tho office of Pan-American Airways has also had a number of inquirers. It was explained this morning that though the big Boeing Clipper will soon be making its first regular flight on the transpacific service it will be carrying mails only. It was the rule of the company that no passengers were carried for at least 30 days after the inauguration of a new service. The Clipper would bo maintaining a mail schedule on its first (light and it would not be possible to deviate from the regular route in order to make d call at Suva. In any case, it was pointed out, .the shipping service would probably-be in regular operation within a short period and the necessity for such a flight would then largely disappear.