Airline service doubled

Press, 23 August 1983, Page 6

Airline service doubled

NZPA staff correspondent Hong Kong The change from a once to a twice weekly service on the Auckland-Port MoresbyHong Kong route would give a better spread of service and be more economical, Air Niugini’s regional manager, Mr Eugene Zau, has said in Hong Kong. He was commenting on a Cathay Pacific announcement that Cathay would relinquish the tripartite route in February — earlier than originally scheduled — to allow Air Niugini to take its turn at flying the route. Air New Zealand, the third of the partners, would become the operating airline from April, 1985. Air Niugini was reported last month to be pushing for changes on the route, at present flown with a Boeing 747.

The announcement confirmed Air Niugini proposed running its two smaller Boeing 707 s on the route and increasing the frequency of the service to twice weekly. Although the route has reportedly been running at t only 70 to 80 per cent of its load factor, a Cathay spokesman, Mr David Bell, said that the latest flight was almost full with 353 passengers. Questioned as to whether Air Niugini could handle an increase in volume on the route should this take place,

Mr Zau said the airline could always further increase the frequency of the service.

“We think two 707 s is adequate to handle the route at the moment,” he said.

Asked jvhether Air Niugini had been worried about the projected profitability of the route using the widebodied Jumbo 7475, Mr Zau said he thought that “could have been one of the considerations.”

Air Niugini has its 7075, the largest planes in its fleet, on lease until 1985 and has still to make a decision on upgrading its fleet. It had at one point been suggested the airline lease a 747 from Air New Zealand or Cathay Pacific for the route when its turn came.

Referring to a meeting in Hong Kong last month between the three partners, Mr Zau said the airline had tried to impress upon its partners that the 707 s would be more economical on the route.

Rather than having a Jumbo 70 per cent full, the airline hoped to have its 707 s full, he said.

Mr Zau said no details were available yet on just how the airline would run its two flfghts but that they could probably be mid-week and at the week-end.

“We think it will provide a much better spread of service,” said Mr Zau.

By mid-1985, it was thought traffic would have grown enough to support the bigger jumbos, said a PA report from Auckland. There was no intention by Air New Zealand or Cathay of getting off the service. Originally, it was planned that each airline would fly the route for six months before handing over in turn to another. It is believed that the longer spell on the route — 14 months — makes it

economically more attractive to Air Niugini, and the twice weekly service more attractive to passengers than the present weekly flight. The service has long been a troublesome one for the airline. It lost money, but was considered too important diplomatically to abandon. Only after Port Moresby was added to the route did it become more economical. This led to the tripartite arrangement.