Air news premature

Press, 19 September 1980, Page 4

Air news premature

Parliamentary reporter

The premature announcement of a direct Christ* church-to-Hobart Mr link —• yet to be approved by the Government — is unlikely to affect its coming into being. Passenger 1 fares and timetables: for the twice-weekly link were reported in "The Press” yesterday after, an announcement by the joint managing director of Ansett Transport Industries (Sit Peter Abeles). But the announcement ignored the New Zealand Government which has yet to consider full details Of the proposal. After a telephone conference with the Australian Minister of Transport (Mr Ralph Hunt) yesterday afternoon, NeW Zealand’s Minister of Civil Aviation (Mr McLachlan) confirmed that the New Zealand Government had agreed to consider "urgently” the Australian proposal. which would, nevertheless, be for a three-month trial only. Discussions by officials on the details of the proposal would begin “as soon as these can be arranged,” Mr McLachlan said. Under the general terms of the proposal, the trial (during the Christmas holidays) would be a twice-weekly service beginning on November 26, with Ahsett Airlines flying a return service on Wednesdays and Trans Aus-

Italia Airways a return service on Saturdays. Suggestions of such a link have surfaced several times in the last two years, but have consistently foundered because of a lack of approval by the Australian Government. This approval has now been obtained. The attitude of the New Zealand Government has

consistently been that it has no objections to the sewme in principle, but a detailed proposal would be necessary before final approval could be given. , The details have now been supplied and that approval seems certain even though Tuesday’s announcement by one of the airlines jumped the gun and pre-empted the Government’s > right of refusal.