U.S. Airline Seeks Landing Rights

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32351, 17 July 1970, Page 4

U.S. Airline Seeks Landing Rights

CN.Z.P.A. Staff Correspondent) SYDNEY, July 15. World Airways, a United States charter airline, has lodged an application in Wellington for New Zealand landing and uplift rights.

If the application is granted the airline proposes to fly 2475 Americans in 15 flights to New Zealand during a 60-day period beginning next February.

Most of the Americans will be wealthy lawyers and doctors.

Mr L. Bram, a spokesman for the airline, which is based at Oakland, California, said today that if New Zealand did not grant landing rights the tourists would be flown elsewhere.

Mr Bram said World Airways had applied for similar rights to Australia. The proposed series of charter flights in Boeing 707 s include four days each in New Zealand, Australia and Tahiti. Mr Bram said the airline’s application had been lodged late in May. “We expect to have a decision in the near future but cannot put a date on It”

Mr Bram said that in evidence submitted in support of the application the company had listed expected expenditure in New Zealand by the American tourists of $980,000.

This covered spending on export purchases by tour members, hotel accommodation, food, landing and maintenance fees, and internal transport by domestic air and road transport. Mr Bram said the charter would arrive and leave from Auckland, but World Airways would not carry the Americans while they were on holiday in the North Island and South Island.

The Minister of Transport (Mr Gordon) was studying the airline’s application, a member of his staff confirmed tonight. It was filed about three weeks ago and a decision would probably be made within the next 10 days.