INTER-ISLAND TRANSPORT

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26832, 10 September 1952, Page 7

INTER-ISLAND TRANSPORT

MORE PEOPLE GOING BY PLANE CIVIL AVIATION BRANCH MAKES SURVEY (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, September 9. The number of people travelling by air between the North and South Islands has more than trebled over the last six years, while the number going by sea has declined. This is revealed by a survey made recently by tne Civil Aviation branch of the Air Department. The number of inter-island air passengers increased from 55,956 for the year ended March, 1947, to 178,934 for the year ended March, 1952. The number of sea passengers dropped from 480,109 in 1947 to 399,678 in 1952, while at the same time total traffic by air and sea rose by 42,000 to reach 578,612. Air traffic now comprises almost 31 per cent, of the total; in 1947 it comprised 10 per cent. The branch’s survey says that exact comparison of air and sea passenger traffic is impossible, and it has consequently compared air traffic between the Ndrth Island and Christchurch, Dunedin, and Invercargill, with sea traffic between Wellington and Lyttelton.

Similarly, air traffic between the North Island and Blenheim is placed against sea traffic between Wellington and Picton, and North Island-Nelson-Westport-Hokitika air traffic against Wellington-Nelson sea traffic. In detail the survey shows that almost six times as many people are now travelling by air between Wellington and Christchurch, Duneain, and Invercargill as in 1947. During the same period the number of those using sea travel between Wellington and Lyttelton increased from 349,000 to 393.000, and has now dropped to 309,000. The smallest increase in air travel took place on the Wellington-Blenheim route, where the numbers rose from 21,000 to 30,000, while the sea figures dropped from 60,000 to 59,000. Wellington-Nelson air figures increased from 15,000 to 39,000, though the total passenger figures for sea and air dropped from 80,000 to 71,000 over the six years. This pattern of more air and less sea travel is being repeated, according to the survey, in overseas passenger movements. More people are entering and leaving New Zealand by air than by sea. Last year’s figures show that air passengers comprised 64.5 per cent, of those leaving for or entering from the Pacific and North America. Almost 60 per cent, of travellers leaving for or*coming from Australia go by air.