TASMAN AIR SERVICE

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29067, 2 December 1959, Page 18

TASMAN AIR SERVICE

Contribution By T.E.A.L. Praised (New Zealand Press Association AUCKLAND, Dec. 1. The Australian Minister of Civil Aviation (Senator Shane Paltridge) said today that he could foresee Tasman Empire Airways as an active participant in a Commonwealth airline bloc. He said that Australia had a real interest in T.E.A.L., not only from Australia’s share-holding point of view, but for strategic reasons. Senator Paltridge was speaking at a ceremony at Mascot Airport, Sydney, to mark the arrival of the inaugural Electra flight from Auckland. “In the 20 years of T.E.A.L.'s existence,’’ he said, “T.E.A.L. has made a remarkable contribution to the development of the type of commercial service which we want.” He said he was extremly satisfied with the view expressed by the New Zealand Minister in charge of Civil Aviation (Mr Mathison) that Electras were the right choice for T.E.A.L. Senator Paltridge said later that any extra flights which Qantas might make across the Tasman would be a matter between Qantas and T.E.A.L., provided the flights were chartered to take T.E.A.L.’s excess passenger capacity. Any further capacity or additional frequency would be a subject for discussion between the Australian and New Zealand Governments.

The charter arrangement, he said, was a purely airline arrangement. Qantas and T.E.A.L. had a fine working arrangement, which was strengthened by the purchase of Electras for both airlines. Everything between the airlines should be conducted to the benefit of both.