TRUNK AIR SERVICES

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 253, 22 July 1936, Page 10

TRUNK AIR SERVICES

New Wellington-Auckland Project Welcomed SUBSIDY ADVOCATED While it still hopes that a trunk air service including Wellington as a port of call will be established in the not-far-distant future, the council of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce at a meeting last night gave its complete endorsement to the proposal to inaugurate a service linking Auckland and Wellington. The view was also expressed that immediate consideration should be given by the Government to the advisability of subsidising air services. The secretary (Mr. H. S. Fairchild) reported that he had communicated with the Commissioner of Transport advising that the Wellington chamber welcomed the projected service over the Auckland-New Plymouth-Palmer-ston North-Wellington route. The daily starting-time from each terminal at 12 noon, it was considered, admirably fitter! in with the dealing by business houses with correspondence and matters arising therefrom, that would reach each centre in the early morning and particularly that by the Main Trunk express. Being ancillary and additional to existing transport services. it would as regards mails offer the facility for very quick exchange of communications and replies. M hile the proposed time-table provided for calls at New Plymouth and Palmerston North, it was a suggestion from the Wellington chamber that the inclusion of the important city of Wanganui would enhance the service, and it was hoped that provision would be made for calls at Wanganui, the fifth city in the Dominion. The action of the secretary in sending the letter forward was confirmed. “The Wellington chamber has for long pressed for substantial improvements to the Rongotai Aerodrome with a view to Its use for trunk air services, and I think all concerned are to be congratulated upon the distinct forward move now in prospect,” said Mr. M. G. C. McCaul. “The proposed Wellington-Auckland air service is one further step in the development of New Zealand air services by a courageous and enterprising company with the object of gaining experience at the minimum of cost. -I “As business men, we must recognise that there are limits to the losses that even a wealthy company can be expected to make in the cause of progress and of service to the community. It is common knowledge that a loss of several hundred pounds weekly is being made on the Palmerston North-Dun-edin service.

Subsidies In Other Countries.

“In Great Britain, air services are subsidised by the Government to the extent of approximately 1/9 per route mile,” he proceeded. “In Australia, I understand, a subsidy of 1/6 per route mile is l>aid. The New Zealand Government pays no subsidy, and I think the commercial community would not be asking too much if they requested our Government to fall into line with Great Britain and Australia. The extension of civil air services and the training of civil pilots is quite as much a necessary basis for the war arm of the air service of this country as a prosperous and extensive mercantile marine is a necessary basis for a powerful navy. ■ .... “The Wellington City Council is to be congratulated upon the improvements already made at Rongotai and upon the further extensive improvements in view. The money spent and yet to be spent will, I am sure, prove a profitable investment in the interests of the commercial supremacy of this city. We can heartily associate ourselves with the Mayor’s desire to see established a one-day through trunk service Auckland-Wellington-Dunedin, and we hope the time is not far distant when such a one-day service is possible on a commercial basis.

Question of Departing Tinies.

"A suggestion has been made that the leaving time from Auckland be 8.15 a.m. instead of 12 noon. In my opinion this would spoil the usefulness of the service. A person leaving Auckland bv air at 8.15 a.m. would arrive in Wellington at 11.15 a.m. The Limited train leaving Auckland the previous night at 7 arrives at Wellington at 9.41 a.m. I could not imagine the average business man spending the extra money to travel by air and arriving 1 hour 35 minutes later than by train, particularly as weather conditions might interfere with the air service. •

“The present Palmerston NorthDunedin service caters well for the Auckland-Dunedin traffic. What we want is a convenient AucklandWellington service that will supplement the over-night train service, and I have no hesitation in saying that an air service leaving each centre at 12 noon and arriving at its destination at 3 p.m. will give the business man just what he wants.

“To put it shortly, a Wellington business man can spend his morning in his office, leave Wellington by air at noon, arrive at Auckland at 3 p.m., transact his business, leave Auckland by train at 7 p.m.. and be back in his office before 10 a.m. next day. An Auckland business man can do the same from bls end. If the air services are to lie of real use they must be supplementary to the train and steamer services, not in direct competion with them. Otherwise they are a silly waste of effort. “For the dispatch of mails the noon air service will undoubtedly prove popular. I think within a few weeks of starting it will eclipse the figures of the South Island service.”

The opinion that immediate consideration should be given by the Government to subsidising airways was also expressed by Mr. R. IL Nimmo, who commented on the fact that New- Zealand was the only Dominion within the Empire that lacked air-mindedness. “This service which is proposed will undoubtedly tap one of the largest urban areas in the Dominion.” said Mr. A R. Hislop. “In rough figures it will tap 450,000 people, which is a big consideration” He also referred to the value of such a service in the handling of mails, and expressed the belief that it would be a great consideration in building up business relationships between Wellington and Auckland. He thought they should still adhere to their aspirations for a main trunk service, hut in the meantime they should give their whole-hearted support to the Auckland-Wellington project.