AIR FARES TO EAST

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31161, 10 September 1966, Page 24

AIR FARES TO EAST

Early Cut Not Expected

Only after the introduction of “jumbo” jet services in the 1970 s could a reduction in air fares to the Orient be expected, the Australian and New Zealand manager of Cathay Pacific Airways, Ltd. (Mr R. V. Pascoe) said in an interview in Christchurch. Mr Pascoe said the decision of the major airlines to employ the large aircraft canable of carrying up to 450 passengers meant that all airlines which wanted to provide competitive services would eventually have to employ similar aircraft. “This will be the next important development in air travel,". Mr Pascoe said. “Lower fares come only with mass travel.”

Mr Pascoe said the purpose of his visit was to survey the travel market in New Zealand. His company was interested in establishing a close association with Air New Zealand.

“Our services complement each other,” he said. “They bring passengers to us in the Orient, and we bring passengers from the Orient to New Zealand.”

Mr Pascoe said the political situation in the Far East had had little effect on traffic to the area. His company has flight paths which cross South Vietnam twice a week. “If anything the publicity appears to be improving the traffic,” he said. “Our sales have increased by 27 per cent every year for the last four years.”