COOK STRAIT AIRWAYS

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22610, 16 January 1939, Page 10

COOK STRAIT AIRWAYS

NEW RECORDS FOR TRANSPORT

ONE MILLION MILES FLOWN IN THREE YEARS [THE PRESS Special Service.! WELLINGTON, January 15. More passengers, mails, and freight were transported by air across Cook Strait last year than ever before, and statistics for the last three years’ operations of the Cook Strait Airways show substantial increases in traffic handled and mileage flown. The company operates five de Havilland 89 Rapides between Wellington, Blenheim, and Nelson, and has a tri-weekly service between Nelson and Greymouth.

In 1936, 12,565 passengers were carried and by the following year the passenger traffic had increased by more than 50 per cent. Last year was a record one for the services and the number of passengers carried totalled 21,134, an increase of 12,565 when compared with the 1936 figures. The mileage flown by the company’s machines increased from 243,396 in 1936 to 509,833 last year. In 1937, the machines covered 391,783 miles. In three years they have flown more than 1,000,000 miles and have carried 55,935 passengers without even a slight mishap. The company has seven pilots and 18 engineers stationed in Nelson. The amount of freight transported last year represented an increase of slightly more than 400 per cent., when compared with the figures for 1936. In that year, the freight traffic amounted to 17,8131b, and in the following year it increased to «A,VIIVb. Last year was also a record one for freight traffic, and 72,2361b were carried.

Consistent with other air services operating in New Zealand, the volume of air mails carried by the Cook Strait Airways has increased considerably since 1936, when 14,8571b of mail were carried. In 1937, mails increased by 17,7141b, and last year the company transported 44,7351b of mail. During the last few weeks the services across Cook Strait have experienced exceptionally busy periods, and many extra trips have been necessary to cope with the passenger and freight traffic offering. .