Australia keen to hold fares

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33450, 4 February 1974, Page 3

Australia keen to hold fares

L\cw Zealand Press Association) CANBERRA, February 3. I’he Australian Government and Qantas were urging that the proposed 7 per cent rise in international air fares should not be applied to fares out of Australia, the Minister for Transport (Mr Charles Jones) said.

I The rise is being considered by the International Air Transport Association. The proposed increase would not apply to fares between Australia and New Zealand. Mr Jones said that Qantas, with the support of the Australian Government, had suggested to I.A.T.A. that the increase on fares out of Australia should be limited to 3 per cent, again excluding Australian and New Zealand fares. Mr Jones said that the proposed 7 per cent increase was being sought by the international airlines as a sur-

-icharge to help offset the 11 recent increases in fuel | prices. f “The world’s major airlines - face a 150 per cent increase din their fuel costs in the first 'quarter of this year,” he said. ,1 “Qantas alone faces a S3om -I increase in fuel costs in the Lcoming financial vear. ri “However, Qantas is not as - badly affected as other major ? airlines, because it obtains ? about 30 per cent of its fuel' i supplies in Australia, and, Australian fuel prices arej - relatively stable compared 1 5 with the" large increases that' -ihave occurred overseas,” Mri ■ iJones said, j