Skybus to make first flight on Friday

Press, 18 November 1981, Page 1

Skybus to make first flight on Friday

PA Auckland Aqua Avia has announced that the first flight of its Skybus Viscount will be on Friday and the second on Sunday. Regular services between Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch would begin on Monday, the society said yesterday.' Aqua Avia and the Piako Aero Club have formed a board to look after the day-to-day running of the Skybus functions. The first flight on-Friday will leave Auckland at 7 a.rri. and arrive at Wellington at 8.20 a.m. The flight will then leave Wellington at 7 p.m. and arrive back at Auckland at 8.20 p.m. From Monday to Friday Skybus will fly return trips between Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch and between Auckland and Wellington. The cost, for life members, will be $63 one-way for the trip between Auckland and Wellington, $4B for the trip between Christchurch and Wellington, and $B5 for the Christchurch to Auckland via Wellington flight. Other members will pay $75 for the flight between Auckland and Wellington, $6O for the flight between Wellington and Christchurch, and

$lO5 for the flight from Christchurch to Auckland. Return flights will cost double the price of a oneway ticket. A meeting, which began in Auckland at 10 a m. yesterday, was believed to" have discussed a row which had blown up between Aqua Avia's chairman. Sir Reginald Barnewell, and the aviation consultancy, A.C.M.S., Ltd, which has .shepherded the Viscount service through Civil Aviation requirements. Sir Reginald had been adamant that A.C.M.S. should be dismissed by the society, but the director of A.C.M.S., Mr Ken Gibson, said his firm’s contract was with the Piako Aero Club, which the society has contracted to run its air service. Whatever the final outcome of that internal wrangle. A.C.M.S. is represented on the Skybus board of management. The resignation of Mr John Trolove as a director and vice-chairman of the society had been accepted at the week-end and he had been dismissed from all executive positions, said Sir Reginald. Sir Reginald said yesterday that any possible division on the Aqua Avia board had been eliminated with Mr Trolove’s departure.