Adelaide-Chch flight?

Press, 15 April 1980, Page 6

Adelaide-Chch flight?

Christchurch has the support of its Australian sister city in its attempts to get more international flights. The Lord Mayor of Adelaide (Mr J. V. S. Bowen) said in Christchurch last evening that he would ask the Australian Government for direct flights between the two cities.

He is here for talks with the Mayor of Christchurch (Mr Hamish Hay). Christchurch and Adelaide airports were both underused, said Mr Bowen. The scenic and recreational resources of the South Island were of big. interest to

tourists from South Australia, he said. “I would expect that tour operators, if we get direct flights, would really get enthusiastic about getting people to come over here,” said Mr Bowen. Adelaide’s tourism was not yet fully developed and it wanted to attract visitors, he said. Mr Bowen did not want to become involved in rivalry between Christchurch and Wellington for new airport facilities. However, he said that- nobody had yet convinced him that Wellington had a great Tourist resource.

“The South Island, for people from our part of the world, has got enormous interest,” he said. Mr Bowen blamed opposition by the Australian national airline, Qantas, for the lack of a direct ajr link between Adelaide and Christchurch.

“I believe they call it economics, but it is empire building in Sydney. They want a centralist type of operation as much as possible,” he said. Qantas did not think of servicing destinations close to Australia, “in the way I think they ought to,” said Mr Bowen..

,Air New Zealand was “Very sensible” because it did not limit itself in effective operations to only jumbo jets with long-haul capacity. “Air New Zealand is in a’ very much better position to service Adelaide,” said Mr Bowen.

He said it was .not always possible to fly between Adelaide and Christchurch via Melbourne on the day the traveller wanted.