Pacific fares will rise 5 per cent

Press, 18 May 1984, Page 5

Pacific fares will rise 5 per cent

PA Auckland Air fares to several Pacific destinations and to Middle East countries will rise 5 per cent for travel on or after May 29. Ministry of Transport approval for the increases was received by airlines on Wednesday.

The increases will include an up to 8 per cent rise on group fares to Tahiti, and a 5 per cent increase on group fare travel to New Caledonia and Fiji. The 5 per cent on ordinary fares — economy, business and first-class — will apply between Auckland and New Caledonia, Fiji, Western Samoa, Tonga and Tahiti, and to Middle Eastern airports roughly between Cyprus and Teheran. Sample fares, return ex-

cursion high-season from Auckland, are: Nandi (Fiji). $6BO (old high-season fare. $647); Apia (Western Samoa), $847 ($806). High-season lasts until the end of September, when such fares will reduce by more than $lOO. The Auckland to Bahrain (excursion return) fare will cost $2498 (old fare. $2379). An Air New Zealand spokesman. Mr Bob Wallace, said yesterday the increases were common among South Pacific airlines.

They were agreed on at International Air Transport Association meetings in October and November last year, because of general cost increases. Similar fare rises also applied out of Australia.