AIR COVERAGE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 38, 14 February 1945, Page 7

AIR COVERAGE

SCHEME FOR AUSTRALIA

POSTWAR PROGRAMME

O.C. SYDNEY, February 7. Details of a post-war scheme for a complete air coverage of Australia announced by the Airline Operators' Secretariat, which has been conducting a big advertising campaign against nationalisation of Australian airways, provide for daily services between important centres, weekly services for minor centres, including large pastoral holdings in remote and isolated areas-; seven trips daily each way between Melbourne and Sydney, and only seven hours' flight between Melbourne and Perth. The scheme also provides for less-than-a-day flights between Melbourne and Daz*win. Fifty per cent of all country residents will be able to reach their nearest capital city within two hours, 30 per cent within four- hours, and 20 per cent within six hours. Capacity of planes will vary from 10 to 41-passenger, and freight planes will carry from three to 10 tons. The scheme will be based on revenue from postal carriage, as well as passengers and general freight. Planes for country centres will leave capital cities early in the morning, and letters will arrive at remote country districts in two or three hours. A return service will enable replies to letters to be back at capital cities the same evening. A daily distribution of newspapers, morning and evening, will also be made over the most populated parts of Australia. The Secretariat estimates that railway revenue will not be affected more than six or seven per cent by the air scheme. ,