Abortion flights hit

Press, 15 June 1979, Page 4

Abortion flights hit

Women booked to fly from Christchurch to Sydney for abortions are being delayed for at least a week because of the limited Tasman air link resulting from the grounding of Air New Zealand’s DClOs.

A Christchurch spokesman for Sisters Overseas Service, which helps pregnant women to go to Australia for abortions, said yesterday that the situation was becoming “pretty desperate.” Ms Lyn Peach said that one woman had been delayed for about three weeks. She would fly from Christchurch on Sunday but would only just be within the safe period for an abortion. In Wellington, another spokesman for 5.0.5., Mrs Jan Clark, said that some women were having to pay up to $9OO for the trip because of extra nights accommodation and first-class air

tickets, reports the Press Association.

Although S.O.S. was getting much help from Air New Zealand with rebookings, the situation was chaotic.

“As yet we have had noone who has not been able to go in time but we have had some pretty close calls,” said Mrs Clark. “We are coping at the moment but it will be difficult to go on for too long.” Mrs Clark said that many women did not know when or how they would go to Australia until the night before the trip. This added to the stress of being pregnant and wanting an abortion. Women were flying to Christchurch or Auckland and then boarding a plane for the trip to Sydney. Some were having ’to pay firstclass air fares and extra nights accommodation in New Zealand or Australia.

The situation emphasised the need for an abortion service, especially in Wellington, Mrs Clark said. Wellington has a severely restricted service at present after the resignations of certifying consultants who performed many of the abortions at Wellington Hospital.

Mrs Clark said S.O.S. was concerned that some women might be delaying seeking an overseas abortion because of the difficulty of getting a flight. S.O.S. had managed to send all women to Australia during the first three months of pregnancy, when it was considered the safest time to have an abortion. But there was concern that women more than three months pregnant might soon seek abortions. Some Sydney clinics would perform the operation but it was more expensive and dangerous.