Italians add to Antarctic income
By
SARONA IOSEFA
The arrival of an Italian Air Force Hercules at Christchurch Airport yesterday marked another milestone in establishing Christchurch as an international base for Antarctic operations, said the executive officer for the D.S.I.R.’s Antarctic division, Mr Peter Nunan. Mr Nunan said the Italians’ arrival was important because they were providing flight support for the New Zealand-United States Antarctic programme for the first time.
The Italian Air Force plans four missions to the Ice from Christchurch this summer. The first, on October 31, would take
two helicopters, hired from New Zealand, to McMurdo Airbase. From there they would be flown to the Italian base at Terra Nova Bay.
The second mission would deliver a group of Italian officials and cargo to the Ice for the summer season, and the last two missions slotted into the New Zealand-United States programme to carry general cargo, Mr Nunan said.
Brigadier-General Luciano Battisti, who piloted the Hercules yesterday, was accompanied by 10 other men bound for the Ice.
General Battisti said the operations were the result of a request
to the Italian Air Force by Enea, the civilian agency organising research at Terra Nova.
Asked whether the Italian programme was likely to be expanded next year, General Battisti said such a decision was not yet official and. was up to the Italian Ministers of Defence and Research.
The Hercules would not fly direct to Terra Nova Bay because there was no airstrip. General Battisti said an airstrip was planned for next year. The missions would be piloted by Lieutenant-Colonel Alberto Pierotti, who already had experience in landing Hercules on icy runways from other missions to
an Italian base in Norway.
The chief executive of the Christchurch Airport Company, Mr George Bellew, said there was an opportunity for Christchurch to make more money if Antarctic operations increased at the airport.
Mr Nunan said Christchurch Airport made $25 million annually from the United States programme alone.
The bulk of the Italian effort was still sea-borne, with two more helicopters being loaded for departure on December 1, he said.
All return cargo at the end of the summer would be seaborne.
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Bibliographic details
Press, 23 October 1989, Page 7
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360Italians add to Antarctic income Press, 23 October 1989, Page 7
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