Wellington’s long runway chances looking thin

Press, 9 June 1980, Page 1

Wellington’s long runway chances looking thin

By

LES BLOXHAM,

travel editor

Air New Zealand’s increasing interest in a new generation of Boeing aircraft is likely to torpedo Wellington’s long fight, for a longer runway. Informed source' /reveal that the a’ "ne is close to settling on the purchase of Boeing’s middle-range 767 twill jets for its regional services to Australia, Fiji, and other close Pacific destinations.

However, the 767 s would be used principally on routes across the Tasman from Wellington; replacing by he end 'of 1983 the service now maintained by the airline’s three ageing PCBs. The Director _of Civil Aviation (Captain E. T. Kippenberger) has confirmed that initial studies of the 767’s performance capabilities show that it could fly into and out of Rongotai withou - the need for extensions to the runW'ay. The aircraft, which will cost about $45 million each, will be abk to carry 220 passengers and eight

tonnes of freight over a range of 5000 km. Air New Zealand would require at least three of them. A DCIO , carry 265 passengers, a DCB, 150, and a Boeing 737, 113. The Boeing company in Seattle has already received 150 confirmed orders for the 767 and the first, already rolling along the production lines, are expected to be in service by the end uf 1982. Airlines with the aircraft on order,: include Ansett of Australia- ( ur) and Canada’s C.P Air (eight). If, as expec f ed, Air New Zealand places an order later this yet •, the aircraft will probably not be delivered until the middle of 1983.

A spokesman for the airline in Auckland was not prepared to comment on suggestions that a decision to buy 767 s would be made soon. He confirmed that the aircraft was’ being assessed, but he added that so, too, was the European A3 lO Airbus, which

will be able to carry 210 passengers.

Captain Kippenberger said that information studied by the Ministry revealed that the Boeing 767 promised an economic edge over the A3lO. The Air New Zealand spokesman’s reluctance to reveal the drline’s official thinking was based, he said, on the ground that it could weaken its bargaining stance with the manufacturer. The Government is delaying a formal pronouncement ou the future of Rongotai until Air New Zealand announces its decision on the new aircraft, a decision which now seems almost certain to result in a $4O million saving to the .axpayer. The runway and taxiways are already being widened for the arrival of Qantas’s new Boeing 7475 P in February. This special-performance, shorter version of the famous jumbo jets ill be able to use the existing length of the runway.