Boeing Service To City Refused

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30289, 15 November 1963, Page 28

Boeing Service To City Refused

Qantas Empire t Airways, Ltd. has been refused rights to operate a bi-weekly Boeing jet service across the Tasman, using Christchurch airport, according to the Tasman and Pacific Islands manager of the airline (Mr J. H. Fysh) in Christchurch yesterday. The decision was made as the result of discussions over the last three months between the Australian Department of Civil Aviation and the New Zealand Civil Aviation /.dministration. Mr Fysh said that in the opinion of Qantas, the extended length of runway at Christchurch airport would enable a regular service to be maintained. "The proposal would not have been made if the airline had not examined the situation most thoroughly and was completely satisfied.” He said there was no significant difference between the operation of a Boeing 707 or an Electra into Christchurch as approach aids applied to one as to the other. Qantas was most enthusiastic about bringing a jet service to the South Island and about the larger number of Australian tourists that

would be generated for the benefit of the Qantas-T.E.A.L. partnership. In its partnership with T.E.A.L., Qantas was already running short of Electra capacity and it had been found necessary to operate Electras on trans-Tasman routes leaving Sydney after midnight and arriving at Auckland and Wellington in the early hours. This situation, he added, was most unattractive for Australian tourists and returning New Zealanders. The increase in trans-Tas-man traffic was likely to be maintained in tire future and even to grow considerably. Boeings would help to cope with it, said Mr Fysh. Although Christchurch did not have its full installation of landing aids, it had sufficient at present to permit Qantas to bring Boeings here. The airline regularly operated through airfields which were less suitable than Christchurch in this respect. Mr Fysh said Qantas had deliberately refrained from entering the controversy about operating jets through Christchurch while the informal governmental discussions were taking place. The airline is to take no

further action at present, but Mr Fysh said this did not mean the matter had been dropped. It would just be shelved for a time. Mr Fysh left for Australia by air last evening.