Air N.Z. cuts its flights to Antarctica

Press, 31 August 1977, Page 1

Air N.Z. cuts its flights to Antarctica

By

LES BLOXHAM,

travel editor

Air New Zealand has cancelled one of its sight-

seeing flights to Antarctica in October.

The airline had planned to make five day-trips south — with DClOs — on October 18 and 25, and on November 1,8, and 15, but the October 25 flight has now been withdrawn. The airline’s southern regional manager (Mr W. J. A. Loffhagen) said yesterday that he did not know why the flight had been cancelled. However, the most likely reason was the comparatively low number of confirmed bookings. Both the first and last flights are now full, with 200 passengers, and the third and fourth are more than half-full. But on Monday, only 80 seats had been booked on the October 25 flight. Mr Loffhagen confirmed that passengers would be offered accommodation on the other flights.

The flights will be made from Auckland to McMurdo Sound or, if weather dictates, to the South Magnetic Pole, and along the Antarctic coastline past the Mertz and Ninnis Glaciers. On their journey south, the DC 10s will fly over Invercargill, the Auckland Islands, the Balleny Islands and Cape Hallett. On the return, the aircraft will make a brief stop at Christchurch — their first landfall after more than 11 hours in the air.

Air New Zealand has invited as commentators, four specialists in Antarctic affairs.

This job will be handled on the first flight bj Mr P. D. Mulgrew, senior radio operator with the Ross Sea party of the Commonwealth 1 rans-Antarctlc Lx ped it ion. and one of the five New Zealanders who reached the South Pole on January 4, 1958.

On November 1, the commentator will be Dr T. Hatherton, leader of the scientific party at Scott Base between 1958 and 1958.

Mr J. M. Caffin, president of the Neu Zealand Antarctic Society and literary- editor of “The Press,” will keep passengers on the fourth flight informed. Mr Caffin, who has twice visited Antarctica, is also editor of the society's publication. “Antarctic."

Passengers on the final flight will have Sir Edmund Hillary as commentator.

The man who will miss because of the C ctoher 25 cancellation, Mr R. B. Thomson, will probably not be disappointed; he Is superintendent of the Antarctic Division of the D.S.I.R. and has flown the route 45 times.

However, Mr loffhagen said yesterday that Mr Thomson might still fly south on one of the other flights.

Qantas, too, is planning to make four Boeing 747 flights out of Sydney to Antarctica in December and February. They will head for the South Magnetic Pole and the Admiralty Range area of Victoria Land.