DISCOMFORTS OF AIR TRAVEL

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22445, 5 July 1938, Page 11

DISCOMFORTS OF AIR TRAVEL

EMPIRE PASSENGERS AT DARWIN ARRANGEMENTS AROUSE COMPLAINTS LONG WAIT IN WIND AND DARKNESS (UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION —COPYRIGHT.) (Received July 4, 10 p.m.) SYDNEY, July 4. The flying-boat Challenger arrived at Darwin last evening, its time from Southampton being seven days four hours, and the distance covered 10,554 miles.

In a high wind, an oil tanker which was refuelling the Challenger broke away from its moorings and crashed into the flying-boat, extensively denting a float. As a result the Challenger will not continue its flight to Sydney until Tuesday. The passengers who arrived in the Challenger complain bitterly of the arrangements for handling passengers on their arrival in Australia. The passengers were informed that they would be unable to leave the vessel until all customs and medical formalities had been completed. They spent an uncomfortable two hours in an over-heated cabin reeking with ether from vaccinating three of the passengers. A choppy sea added to their discomfort.

Only two ancient open launches were available to convey the passengers ashore, and most of them became wet with spray. They then had to wait in the darkness in a strong wind outside the customs sheds while each was admitted singly and examined. After this followed a half-mile walk to the waiting cars, and it was three hours after their arrival before the last passenger reached his hotel.

The Royal Dutch Airlines machine, which left Amsterdam two days after the Challenger left London, has progressed according to schedule, and will overtake the Challenger at Darwin to-day, arriving in Sydney early to-morrow afternoon. The Challenger will arrive here on Wednesday evening. MINISTER CALLS FOR EXPLANATION “MAXIMUM PENALTY FOR ANY MISMANAGEMENT” (Received July 4, 11.30 p.m.) CANBERRA, July 4. The Minister for Defence (Mr H. V. Thorby) is extremely angry about the complaints made by the Challenger’s passengers, and has called for an urgent explanation. He added that if there had been mismanagement of the kind alleged he would “see that the maximum penalty is imposed, irrespective of persons.”