Government Opposed To Harewood For Jets

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29380, 6 December 1960, Page 18

Government Opposed To Harewood For Jets

Only one international airport capable of taking pure jet services was envisaged for New Zealand, and it must be at Auckland, says the Prime Minister (Mr Nash) in reply to representations by the Christchurch City Council for designation of the Christchurch airport as a truly international airport and extension at an estimated cost of £lOO,OOO.

His Government regards Christchurch’s international purpose as providing regional services to Australia and now Fiji, Mr Nash says in a letter which the council received yesterday in reply to its letter of August 22.

First priority for a full-scale international airport must be Mangere, but extensions to runways elsewhere will certainly be considered as and when demand and traffic may warrant, he writes.

While the estimated £lOO,OOO might cover the cost of extensions for short-stage jet services it did not include the additional facilities needed for full-scale operation, and it was not practicable at present to provide these facilities, which cost several hundrd thousand pounds. at more than one New Zealand airport. “Under the circumstances, and with the knowledge we have of the plans of overseas airlines, the Government is not able at this

stage to extend Christchurch airport or to develop the facilities referred to in your letter,” the Prime Minister says. He had discussed the council’s approach with the Minister of Civil Aviation (Mr Mathison* “who has always taken a great interest in the development of aviation and also of tourism in the South Island." Tourist Income In its letter, the council said it was concerned that the Gov- , ernment’s aviation advisers were determined that New Zealand should not have a pure jet airport for five years, and that New Zealand could thus miss tourist income as it was not on the main jet routes of the world. “We shall certainly take this matter up very strongly with the new Minister of Civil Aviation," " Cr. A. R. Guthrey, chairman of the council’s airport committee, ” said yesterday. Christchurch and the South Island would never be -o content to have the airport purely a regional one. »<* It had always been the inten- -- tion to develop it to full international standard, he said.

Although it would cost several hundred thousand pounds to provide full facilities for scheduled air services by all types of air- ... craft and a number of airlines, the immediate requirement was for facilities to enable Pan American Airways to operate into and through New Zealand using jets, he said. Christchurch could be brought up to the standard for that for an expenditure of less than „ £lOO,OOO, and the Director of Civil Aviation (Sir Arthur Nevill) had agreed with that, Cr. Guthrey said. ~ Most of the amount was pro- ”, mised, anyway, for lighting and navigational aids, and the only ,** extra expense would be £40,000 for runway extensions.