Shared air route studied

Press, 2 August 1983, Page 27

Shared air route studied

NZPA staff correspondent Hong Kong Changes were likely to the tripartite AucklandHong Kong arrangement but not to the “shocking” extent of partners pulling out of the shared air route, said Air Niugini’s regional manager, Mr Eugene Zau, in Hong Kong. The route is shared between the Papua New Guinean airline, Air New Zealand and Cathay Pacific,

with Cathay running the one-weekly flight with a jumbo 747 for the first 12 months. Mr Zau said he was unable to comment on precisely what was discussed at a two-day meeting this week between the three partners. “Certain things were decided but they were referred back to our head offices for clearance and they will be issuing a joint

statement — I think fairly shortly,” he said. Mr Zau acknowledged that “some” of the matters mentioned in a newspaper report in Hong Kong last week had featured in the talks.

Hong Kong’s “South China Morning Post” said Air Niugini was about to complete a study on aircraft replacement and route patterns and that if it decided not to buy a jumbo jet an arrangement might be made with one of its tripartite partners to lease a 747 when its turn to operate the route comes in May next year.

Alternatively, the report said, Air Niugini could switch the service to twice weekly, using the two

smaller Boeing 707 s in its fleet if the other two partners agreed. The “Post” said the three airlines were studying the cargo movement for Hong Kong-New Zealand, with the intention of introducing a specific commodity rate for certain types of cargo moving in large quantity, to give incentive to shippers. They were also considering new excursion and group fares with a stopover at Port Moresby to promote tourist traffic. One airline source told the NZPA that Air Niugini was worried about the profitability of the current arrangement and could be seeking to take up its option to fly the route before next May.