Purchase Of Plane ‘Matter For N.Z.’

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30882, 15 October 1965, Page 11

Purchase Of Plane ‘Matter For N.Z.’

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, Oct. 14. The British Minister of Aviation (Mr Roy Jenkins) said at a press conference today his New Zealand visit was not made because of the large number of American aircraft bought by New Zealand.

"I think I would have come to New Zealand on this trip quite independently of that.” he said. "An awful lot of people throughout the world are buying American aircraft—the American aircraft industry is a very big industry and a most successful one—and New Zealand is not unique in that respect,” Mr Jenkins said. “We hope there will continue to be a considerable market for British aircraft in New Zealand, too,” he said. “We are very confident the New Zealand authorities will look very carefully at the

B.A.C. 111 as well as its two possible rivals,” he said.

“We hope it will prove a satisfactory plane from New Zealand’s point of view.

“We want you to buy a plane that suits you—not one that doesn’t suit you. It is a matter for New Zealand to decide.”

Mr Jenkins said he had come to Australia partly to look at the Woomera rocket range in which, as British Minister of Aviation, he had a very close interest.

He also wanted to have talks with members of the Australian and New Zealand Governments. Mr Jenkins said he had not yet discussed with the Minister of Civil Aviation (Mr McAlpine) the shortage of air traffic control officers in New Zealand.

“We certainly don’t have a great surplus of them ourselves,” he said, “but that does not mean we can’t provide a few of them to help you out with your problem,” he said. Collaboration Mr Jenkins said the future of the British aircraft industry lay in collaboration with other countries, especially France.

He expressed confidence that a prototype of the Concord—the Anglo - French supersonic transport aircraft —would be flying during 1968 and that the plane could be ready for airline service by the end of 1971 or the early part of 1972. He said the Americans had not yet gone ahead with a full production programme of supersonic transport. Of the Black Arrow rocket project, Mr Jenkins said: “The position is that this is a possible successor to the Black Knight project.” The British Government was considering it favourably but had reached no decision. “It is purely a British project,” he said.