Newmans Air stepping up assault on air routes

Press, 24 July 1986, Page 19

Newmans Air stepping up assault on air routes

PA Wellington Newmans Air, backed by Ansett and Brierley Investments, is stepping up its assault on Air New Zealand territory by preparing for negotiations with airport authorities for extra terminal space, The “Dominion” reported. At Wellington and Auckland, the size of the domestic terminals seemed to have been directly tied to the length of counter space Air New Zealand requires to process passengers, said the newspaper. Newmans chief executive, Mr Ken McDonald, said the negotiations for space would begin soon, but an Air New Zealand spokesman, Mr Bob Wallace, said: “Air New Zealand would not expect to give up any space.” The problem was com- . pounded because Air New Zealand would fight to keep its gates on to the

tarmac and its hold on baggage-handling facilities.

The Wellington Airport manager, Mr Bob Goldin? gay, said baggage-hand-ling gear from the old DCB days could be sufficient for Newmans.

Passengers could be processed in the same corner Air Albatross used before its liquidation. “We might have to get into slot-allocation times for when airlines can park at the terminals,” he said.

“That would only happen if Newmans ran to a schedule that conflicted with Air New Zealand.”

Options included taking passengers by bus to the present Safe Air terminal, or asking them to walk more than 100 metres to the north side of the international terminal.

“A walk that long could be less than attractive,” Mr Goldingay admitted. The expansion of commuter airlines also had to be considered.

They will not readily give up their spaces to an airline that threatens them more than it threatens Air New Zealand.

Three light planes of 10-seat Cessna 402 size take up the same space as a Boeing 737, but bring in

only about a third of the passenger load •— perhaps indicating that the light planes will have to shift from the southern end of the domestic terminal to make way for Newmans.

When Newmans goes national it will use planes as least as big as Air New Zealand’s jets and, if more people take advantage of the expected very low fares, it raised the problem of cramped passenger facilities for at least one airline.

Newmans indicated it would take little time to establish the enlarged airline once the Overseas Investment Commission gave approval, and Mr McDonald said maintenance facilities at Christchurch were already gearing up and were capable of handling big twinjets.

They may be in use by the end of the year; certainly an expanded airline with two new aircraft will be in service.