ADDITIONAL AIR SERVICE

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25250, 31 July 1947, Page 6

ADDITIONAL AIR SERVICE

ROUTE

DAtxUTAS TO OPERATE FROM TAIERI A new air service between Auckland and Dunedin is to be established by the National Airways Coloration with 22-seater Dakota aircraft. Director of Civil Aviation fMr E. A. Gibson) has authorised the operation of Dakotas from the Taieri airport near Dunedin, and it is proposed to begin the service on September 1The ‘schedule for the new service has not been decided definitely, but the present scheme is, for Dakotas to arrive at and leave from Dunedin twice each day. A Dakota will fly from Auckland to Dunedin, calling at Wellington, and Christchurch, and return to Harewood in the late afternoon. The next day it will fly to Dunedin, and return to Auckland, while the other Dakota is coming from the north. This service will enable passengers for Dunedin on the steamer express to travel to Harewood, board the Dakota, and reach their homes probably before noon. Travelling by rail they would not arrive in Dunedin by the express from Christchurch until early in the evening. The Dakota returning to Harewood in the late . afternoon will provide a connexion with the steamer express for the north in the evening. Previously the Taieri airport was regarded as unsuitable for the operation of Dakotas, but now the Air Minister (Mr F. Jones) has stated that the Director of Civil Aviation considers Taieri is suitable in certain conditions, and the Government is quite prepared to accept his decision. Under the conditions that have been, laid down, it is considered that the airport will be usable for 95 per cent, of the timetable.

Feeder Service Proposed When the National Airways Corporation receives aircraft that are now being converted in Australia, it will be able to provide a feeder service from Invercargill to Dunedin. Two Dakotas and two Lodestars are to be flown to New Zealand at the end of August—the conversion work has been delayed by industrial trouble—and the operations manager of the corporation (Mr A. G. Gerrand) is now In Australia arranging for the delivery of the air? craft.

The arrival of additional Lodestars will enable Electras now in use on the North Auckland-East Coast service to be transferred to thb Cook Strait service. This will release two Dominie aircraft for the InvercargillDunedin Service, which is expected to ba operating before the end of this year. Two more new services planned by the National Airways Corporation are a daily one each way between Auckland and Rotorua, and one from Christchurch to the West Coast. The Auck-land-Rotorua service is expected to be established late this year with Lockheed Electras, but the West Coast service is still under consideration. It will probably be operated with Lodestars fitted with special de-icing equipment, end the West Coast terminal at first may be Westport.