N.A.C. PLANE NEEDS

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30127, 10 May 1963, Page 18

N.A.C. PLANE NEEDS

Aircraft For Feeder Routes

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, May 8. While the replacement of the Friendship was a long way off. National Airways Corporation hopes it will ultimately be possible to obtain an aircraft capable of replacing both the Friendship and the DC3, the project and development manager (Captain H. C. Walker) said today. An aircraft around 30-pas-senger capacity would satisfy these requirements. It would be small enough to operate on tertiary services and give greater frequency of operation on some of the more important secondary routes. If this could be achieved, the corporation would be operating a 70-80 passenger aircraft on main trunk routes and 30-passenger aircraft for all secondary and tertiary routes with very considerable economic advantage to the corporation. Captain Walker said he expected the DC3 to be in operation until 1970. Of the four Viscounts, which each do 2000 flights a year, major modifications were not required until 1971. An expenditure of about £50,000 on each aircraft at this time would, however, increase the life until 1974.

Minor Injuries.— Robert Terence Hobden, of 315 Ashgrove terrace, suffered minor injuries when his powercycle ‘and a car collided in Colombo street near the corner of Somerfield street at noon yesterday. He was treated at the Christchurch Hospital and discharged.