Aircraft To Be Overhauled Here

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30759, 25 May 1965, Page 11

Aircraft To Be Overhauled Here

South Pacific Airlines of New Zealand would maintain its full timetable during the July-August overhaul of one of its 32-seat Viewmaster aircraft, said the general manager (Captain R. D. Daniell).

S.P.A.N.Z. would do this through an agreement to lease one of the National Airways Corporation DC3s for five weeks.

Captain Daniell said N.A.C. engineers would also carry out the estimated £14,000, 6000hour overhaul of the Viewmaster at the corporation’s Christchurch workshops. The economy fares offered between Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch continued to be popular. They were returning the company on average more than £lOOO a week. This was the earning S.P.A.N.Z. predicted when it applied for permission to introduce economy fares, he said.

S.P.A.N.Z. was continuing to keep a close check on passengers availing themselves of the ecenomy fare plan and on the effect these sales might be having on N.A.C. So far as S.P.A.N.Z. was aware, said Captain Daniell, the economy fares had had no significant effect on the availability of seats on N.A.C. flights. He said that N.A.C. aircraft operating between the three main centres continued to be heavily booked, especially in peak loading periods. Negotiations with the Department of Civil Aviation concerning the introduction of British Hawker Siddeley 748 aircraft were continuing and progress to date had been encouraging, he said. He started to sing as he tackled the thing that couldn’t be done, and he did it.—Edgar A. Guest.