The Press WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1938. A Tasman Air Service

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21907, 7 October 1936, Page 8

The Press WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1938. A Tasman Air Service

It is apparent from Sir Archdale Parkhill’s statement on the recent aviation conference in Wellington that negotiations for the establishment of a trans-Tasman air service, which began more than a year ago, have at last been brought to a successful conclusion. If there are no last-minute hitches, the service should be in operation before the end of 1937. Of the factors which have contributed to this happy result* the most important is the settlement of the outstanding differences between Imperial Airways and the Australian Government. Ever since the inauguration of the air service from Great Britain to Australia there has been a conflict of aspirations. On the one hand, Imperial Airways and the British Government have been anxious to develop a system of Imperial air services under unified control; on the other hand, the Australian Government, encouraged by the brilliant pioneering work of Australian aviators and by the successful development of civil aviation in Australia, has shown some impatience of Imperial control and has been anxious to give as much scope as possible to Australian airmen and Australian capital. Until recently there was perhaps some justification for the Australian view that Imperial Airways has been slow to realise the possibilities of an air service to Australia and New Zealand. There has been much criticism of the slowness of the British machines used on the route to Singapore; and it is certainly true that, until an Australian company proposed to establish a trans-Tasman service and the New Zealand Government opened negotiations with Pan-Pacific Airways, little attention was paid to New Zealand by Imperial Airways. However that may be, the position has been greatly changed in the last few months. The problem of evolving aircraft suitable to the eastern route has been successfully tackled by British engineers and manufacturers, and Imperial Airways is now fully alive to the fact that, in this part of the world, it has to face keen competition. Moreover, it would seem that the outstanding differences between theAustralian Government and Imperial Airways have now been adjusted; reasonable unity of control is to be preserved and at the same time there is an assurance that Australian pilots and experts will share in the working of the service. Control of the Singapore-Darwin section has now been transferred from the Australian company, Qantas Empire Airways, to Imperial Airways, and it has been agreed to change over to flying-boats for this part of the route. The Australian terminal for the flying-boats will be either Brisbane or Sydney, whence they will cross to New Zealand. What arrangement has been reached for the control of the trans-Tas-man service has not yet been announced; nor is much known about finance. The original suggestion of the British Government was that it should bear half the cost and the Australian and New Zealand Governments each a quarter; but the position is somewhat complicated by an argument over charges for the carriage of mails. It is perhaps unnecessary to emphasise the great benefits which this service will bring to New* Zealand. Not the least of them will be a great stimulus to civil aviation in New Zealand. The present Government will be compelled fay pressure of events to start an Air Ministry without delay; and that Ministry will necessarily work in close co-operation with the Federal Air Ministry, from which it will be able to learn much. Moreover, once the transTasman service is started, it will be.reasonable to expect a much wider use of internal air, mails in New Zealand, which hitherto have not been a conspicuous success.