AIR SCHEDULES UPSET

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29179, 13 April 1960, Page 16

AIR SCHEDULES UPSET

Taieri And Rongotai Closed North Island passengers aboard a National Airways Corporation Viscount were over four hours late arriving at Christchurch last nght. Poor visibility and cloudy weather which caused two airports to be closed for a time and another to be considered only marginal for aircraft movements was the reason for the delay. The aiiporls affected were Taieri, which was closed from 9.10 a.m. until' about 3 p.m.; Rongotai, where the air traffic was halted at 4.30 p.m. until it reopened at 7 p.m.; and Whenuapai, which was considered by meteorological authorities to be a very marginal airport. The Viscount which left Christchurch for Auckland at 5 p.m. yesterday was 45 minutes late and was further delayed waiting for passengers from Dunedin who wer6 being taken from that city to Oamaru by road transport and picked up from there by N.A.C. DC-3

By-passing Rongotai, the Viscount landed at Palmerston North where road transport to and from Wellington carried passengers on the three-hour run. The Viscount which was late arriving in the city last night was delayed at Palmerston North until passengers from Welington arrived for their connexion.

Passengers to and from Dunedin, because of Taieri being closed, were taken by road transport to Oamaru and picked up from there by a DC-3. The service worked in reverse for south-bound passengers for Dunedin.