Airport Report Criticised By Cr. Guthrey

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30468, 16 June 1964, Page 1

Airport Report Criticised By Cr. Guthrey

Every competent authority regarded Christchurch as a naturally safe airport, said Cr. A. R. Guthrey, chairman of the airport committee, to the City Council last evening. He was protesting against the report of the committee which inquired into the use of Christchurch by large jet aircraft.

The committee had based its findings on the International Civil Aviation recommendation that I.L.S. should be installed except at airports where climatic and traffic conditions were such that safe operations would be affected by the absence of 1.L.5., Cr, Guthrey said. The committee expressed an opinion that Christchurch did not come within the excepted class: but he defied anyone to give a reason why, Cr. Guthrey said. The committee apparently chose to ignore the Qantas submissions that Christchurch was safe now for regular jet services, he said. Qantas said that the following international airports were used without the I.L.S. equipment which the committee considered necessary before Christchurch could be used — Singapore, Bangkok, Athens, Djakarta, Teheran, Honolulu, Cairo, Brisbane, Darwin, Perth, Sydney and some of the runways at New York. “This seems to make a mockery of the committee’s findings,” Cr. Guthrey said. Cr. N; G. Pickering: Hear, hear. The committee was also informed that the New Zealand Civil Aviation Department permitted jets to use Nandi three months before LL.S. was installed and that Whenuapai was permitted to use Comet jets without I.L.S. “It would be interesting to

know why the Minister allowed the Director of Civil Aviation to permit Nandi to be used without I.L.S. and continue to permit the same director to refuse a limited and safer jet service to operate from Christchurch,” Cr. Guthrey said. “Yet the Minister has gone on record as stating that his portfolio is not controlled by his departmental heads.” The committee had said that provided the Civil Aviation. Department and the Ministry of Works had completed the installation of certain navigational aids that jet services should be permitted in January, 1965, he continued. “In view Of the obvious re-

luctance of the department to allow the early use of Christchurch for jet services, I have doubts as to whether their programme will be completed in time and whether in fact jet services will be permitted by January, 1965," he said. “The Civil Aviation Department is out to block us if it can from getting jet services,” said Cr. R. M. Macfarlane, M.P. “The inquiry was only a white-washing one for the Minister and the department. “Now we must be Vigilant to see that the undertakings given are met.” Parochial interests in the North Island were preventing Christchurch from being recognised as the international airport of New Zealand, Cr. A. E. Armstrong said.

The Council agreed with Cr. Guthrey that the Minister of Civil Aviation (Mr McAlpine) should be asked for a positive assurance that the scheduled aid programme should be kept to enable the committee’s recommendation for a jet service in January to be fulfilled.