Westport offered Sunday flights

Press, 25 July 1984, Page 2

Westport offered Sunday flights

The Wellington-based airline, Air Albatross, is willing to provide week-end air services between Westport and Wellington if the present ban on Air New Zealand flights into Westport on Sundays is not settled. The Air Line Pilots’ Association imposed the ban after a series of incidents over Westport, the latest involving a reported near miss between a light aircraft and an Air New Zealand Friendship on July 13. The association said Sunday flights into Westport were potentially dangerous because a flight services officer was not on duty at the airport at week-ends. The chief executive of Air Albatross, Mr Murray Tur-

ley, said his airline was willing to provide week-end return flights to Westport and supply ground facilities for them if necessary. “I can confirm we are interested in helping Westport people. We are also willing to put in our own ground facilities to comply with requirements,” he said. Mr Turley could not say how many flights his airline would make to Westport each week-end. A twin-en-gined Fairchild Metroliner aircraft seating 18 passengers would be used for the flights, he said. Westport Airport Authority members will take their case to the Government next week if the airport dispute has not by then been

resolved. The member of Parlament for the West Coast, Mr Kerry Burke, is arranging a meeting between the disputing parties and the authority in Wellington early next week. The incoming Minister of Transport, Mr Prebble, will also be asked to attend. A meeting was held in Wellington last Friday between the disputing parties, Air New Zealand, A.L.P.A. and the Civil Aviation Division of the Ministry of Transport However, Civil Aviation still refuses to provide an extra staff member for the airport while A.L.P.A. has continued its Sunday ban on flights to Westport.