HIGH STANDARD OF FREQUENCY

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 180, 28 April 1939, Page 15

HIGH STANDARD OF FREQUENCY

Services Of Union Airways Figures made available yesterday, disclose that - since January, 1936, Union Airways of New Zealand, Ltd., have maintained a standard of frequency of service considered to be equal to that of any airways company operating overseas. Up to March 31 last, 5614 trips were scheduled, and, of these, 5574, or 99.29 per cent, were completed. The figures also give an idea of the progress being made by commercial aviation in New Zealand. The first airliner operated by Union Airways left Palmerston North for Dunedin, via Blenheim and Christchurch, on January 16, 1936. In the following year, on June 23, the Wel-lington-Auckland service was inaugurated, and on October 22, 1938, this service was extended to become the main Interisland service. Between Auckland and Dunedin, with calls at New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Wellington, Christchurch and Timaru, Union Airways extended their operations also to Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne, and a new service connects Gisborne with Auckland, via Tauranga. The main statistics of Union Airways operations between January. 1936, and March 31, 1939, are as follows :— Passengers carried, 49,274. Freight carried, 67,5171 b. Mails carried, 342,0081 b. Miles flown, 1,996,780. Passenger miles, 10,408,112. Freight ton-miles, 7547. Mail ton-miles, 43,889. Trips scheduled, 5614. Trips flown, 5607. Trips completed, 5574. Scheduled trips flown, 99.88 per eent. Scheduled trips completed, 99.29 per cent.