Hobart air link delay?

Press, 6 October 1980, Page 1

Hobart air link delay?

By

LES BLOXHAM,

travel editor

A hint that the new Christchurch-Hobart air service may not get off the ground next month as planned was dropped by the Minister of .Tourism (Mr Cooper) at the travel agents’ convention in Invercargill on Saturday. He personally supported the proposed November deadline but the starting date could be in February, he said.

Australia’s two domestic airlines', Ansett and Trans Australia Airlines, have been working towards November 26 and November 29 respectively for their inaugural flights.

Two issues appear to concern Mr Cooper. One is. the doubling of capacity since the plan was first mooted and the other is

the .length of the trial •period. “We were originally told that we would get one small jet flying once a week between Hobart and Christchurch,” said Mr Cooper. “Now we find that both T.A.A. and Ansett want to fly the route, one on Wednesdays and the other on Saturdays.

‘‘Now I am a little con* cerned because the capacity is going to be doubled.”

Mr Cooper said that instead of two airlines competing with each other over a trial period of three months, one flight a week over six months might be better. The Government supported the link. “We think it is going to be a winner," said Mr Cooper.