DEVELOPMENT OF RONGOTAI

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25276, 30 August 1947, Page 8

DEVELOPMENT OF RONGOTAI

MAYOR’S COMMENTS ON CHANGE INCONVENIENCE ,TO TRAVELLERS WELLINGTON, August 29. The Government had at last realised the serious / continuing danger at Rongotai in view of the enormous growth in air traffic in recent years, which showed that during the current year no less than 80,000 passengers would have travelled to and from Rongotai, compared to less than 20,000 when the commission made its recommendations nearly 10 years ago, said the Mayor of Wellington (Mr W. Appleton). . . , ~ « A He considered it unthinkable that Wellington citizens and the New Zea - land travelling public should be penalised to the extent of having to spend approximately an hour going 35 miles to Paraparaumu. The great loss of time to the travelling public, the serious delay to postal services, and the additional costs would be a continuous burden, not only to Wellington, but to New Zealand as a whole. “There is no doubt that the Government has shown an attitude of procrastination and indecision in the development of Rongotai airport,” said Mr Appleton, “and I feel that the decision now arrived at to operate commercial flying solely from Paraparaumu will only hasten the day when the Government must make up its mind to develop Rongotai airport, which from past figures has proved itself to be the busiest airport in New Zealand, handling more than 40 per cent of both the passenger and freight traffic of the whole of New air services. In a way I welcome the Government’s decision, because it will bring home to ihe Wellington public the benefits the air-travelling public have enjoyed at Rongotai in recent years.”