Skybus flight this morning cancelled

Press, 23 November 1981, Page 6

Skybus flight this morning cancelled

PA Auckland This morning's planned Skybus flight for fare paying passengers was cancelled last evening. Captain M. A. Watt, who heads a committee running the airline enterprise,. decided at 9.15 p.m. yesterday to cancel the 7 a.m. Auckland - Wellington - Christchurch flight in view of the Piako Aero Club’s attitude.

Mr Cedric Allan, a public relations spokesman for the Aqua Avia: Society which runs Skybus. said there had been no’ clfjar answer from aero club officials that they were happy about the air service starting. Mr Allan said last evening: “At this stage Skybus is still hopeful of . flying the 5 p.m. Auckland to Wellington and return flight for fare paying passengers on Monday.” The society has decided to ask the High, Court for a declaratory judgment bn whether its scheme is legal.

Mr -C.j K. Parsons, a society director and vicepresident of the aero club whose members fly the Skybus Viscount, said there was concern about the legality of the proposal. He said the airline had tried to get in touch with all intending passengers for this morning's flight.

Those who could not be reached would be booked on Air New Zealand flights by Skybus staff.

The difference in fares would be met by Skybus, said Mr Allan.

He said that the Piako Aerb Club would have to come to a decision that it was happy about a scheduled air service starting.

Aqua Avia’s chairman, Sir Reginald Barnewall, flew home to Queensland yesterday to repair what he called “a business in tatters.”

"It is up to the New Zealanders now to keep Skybus rolling,” he said.

But whether >the airline survives the next few weeks will depend on; how many Aqua Avia members fly with the airline. At $BOOO a day, the leased Viscount will J need nearly full loads if it" is to .recoup costs and overhead ; expenses.

The question of ’ its continued function f ( depends; on whether, the High Court "confirms its challenge to the legal advice given the Immigration Minister (Mr Malcolm) over crew work permits.

Sir Reginald, at the centre of last-minute manoeiivnngs and disputes, said; he would be back in Auckland in about a week. ■

“I want to thank everybody in the society for their unswerving loyalty," he said. “They worked tinder great pressure.” Sir Reginald said he had made “not one solitary cent” from his three weeks in New Zealand. He said his absence from Australia had cost him a “lucrative” position as an Australian horticultural representative to the European Common Market. He had also been forced to decline a position as an air services licensing adviser to the Queensland Government. He had also “had to let go” his 20 acres of intensive orchard, a chain of motels he supervised, and his positions with Noosa Airlines.

“The whole Skybus effort has taken a very great personal toll,” he said. Sir Reginald said he would remain as chairman of Aqua Avia, but would stay outside the running of Skybus.

He repeated the assertion that he had been “spuriously” elected to the Aqua Avia board, and without his permission..

“1 believe, however, we have achieved our aims and are stronger than ever after Friday evening's first passenger flight," he said.