AIR CARRIAGE OF GOODS

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25249, 30 July 1947, Page 9

AIR CARRIAGE OF GOODS

RAILWAY DEPARTMENT’S SERVICE

PROGRESS IN SIX MONTHS Although it is not yet six months since the Railways Department inaugurated its air freight service from Woodbourne to Paraparaumu, much has been achieved and from the variety and weight of the cargo carried it is evident that the service has become a widely-used and popular one.

A departmental officer said yesterday that since the service was started on February 18, manufacturers had given it solid support, and satisfactory progress had been made. The whole service could be expanded at short notice if the traffic proved consistently heavy enough to warrant it. An analysis of the traffic carried in the last three months showed how well-established the service had become, the officer said. In April, the weight of goods and parcels carried from Woodbourne to the North Island had been 392,0001 b, in May, 404.0001 b, and in June 394,0001 b. The slightly smaller amount carried in June was caused by a reduction in the flying time available, Paraparaumu being under water for two days. Traffic from the North Island had been of about the same volume.

The service was a through-booking one, the officer said, goods being taken from any station in the South Island and railed to Blenheim. Motortrucks took the goods to Woodbourne, and from tnere goods were flown to Paraparaumu, for transport to any North Island station. Dakota aircraft Were used on the service, which operated on five days of the week, with a minimum of three return trips each day In the summer months there would be between four and six return trips a day. In nearly all consignments sent by the service, a considerable saving of time was effected, the officer said. At present a fair quantity of perishable and consumable goods, where the quickness of dispatch affected the market price, was being carried. Typical Oa such consignments were cut flowers—recently half a ton of them had come in one load from the North Island. All early fruits and vegetables, when the market price was high, would also be carried in quantity. A fair number of household removals were carried out, the service eliminating the necessity to wait, sometimes for weeks, for sea transport. Normally, goods accepted in Christchurch arrived in Blenheim the following morning, and were flown that day to Paraparaumu. They were available for delivery in Wellington or were loaded on to rail to destination stations on the morning after that. The service had a wide scope, and bulk consignments of from five to 15 tons were not unusual. Goods accumulated at Paraparaumu and Woodbourne for two days during the floods in the North Island had been cleared off in only two days, the officer said. An additional aircraft had been chartered for the work.