Minister seeks Osaka flights

Press, 14 December 1985, Page 8

Minister seeks Osaka flights

From

ALAN GOODALL

Tokyo Direct flights between Christchurch and Osaka, Japan, were foreshadowed yesterday by the Minister of Labour and State Services, Mr Rodger. Tentative talks between the New Zealand and Japanese Governments had already begun to open the new links, he said.

Mr Rodger was speaking in Osaka, Japan’s second city, before returning to Tokyo for today’s flight home. In Osaka, he opened New Zealand’s first Consu-late-General. The new Con-

sul-General is Mr Michael Lear, formerly trade officer at New Zealand’s Tokyo embassy. Mr Rodger told a Japanese press conference that New Zealand-Japan flights had increased to four a week, two each by Air New Zealand and Japan Air Lines. These were between Tokyo and Auckland. “Fifty thousand Japanese a year are coming to New Zealand and many of them would like to fly direct to the South Island,” Mr Rodger said. “They then want to fly to Mount Cook. “This is not possible yet,

but I hope both Governments will be able soon to open Osaka-Christchurch flights.

“As air services become more liberalised, it should be [possible to fly direct to Christchurch, then on to Mount Cook.”

Mr Lear said one delay was in restricted landing rights at Osaka’s airport, Itami.

“I hope that when the new Osaka international airport becomes operational in 1993 Air New Zealand will be able to have direct flights from here,” he said. Copyright, N.Z. Japan News