AIR SERVICES

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 111, 6 November 1935, Page 30

AIR SERVICES

THE PACIFIC ROUTE

ACTION APPROVED

The action of the Government in coming to an agreement with PanAmerican Airways for the establishment of the proposed San FranciscoAuckland air service was warmly commended by members of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce last evening. The establishment of the service, it was stated, would be of great value to New Zealand.

The president (Mr. M. G. C. McCaul) said he 'was sure members of the Chamber were pleased to see the Prime Minister's published announcement regarding an agreement ■ reached with Pan-American Airways for the establishment of an air service from the United States to New Zealand. There were certain significant facts in connection with the service that should now be obvious to those concerned with the tourist traffic in New Zealand. There were a large number of busy business men in the United States who had the money but not the time to spend a holiday in New Zealand, and if they could be attracted to the Dominion by air the country would reap a rich profit.

Travellers going from New York to Le Havre by the Normandie—the fastest ship on the North Atlantic—were five days on the journey, and those who would travel by the Queen Mary next year would take four and a quarter days from New York to Southampton or four and a half days to London. Compared with that the night aeroplanes from New York reached San Francisco in sixteen hours and the PanAmerican service from there would reach Auckland in three days by daylight flying only. If and when night flying across the Pacific became practicable the time between New York and New Zealand would be shortened. In any case as soon as it became practicable to cross the Pacific by', regular (lying boats New Zealand would have an advantage over Europe when the New York business magnate considered a holiday, until the Atlantic could be bridged by air. That fact should be considered by the New Zealand Tourist Department, he concluded.

Mr-. A. R. Hislop said he agreed that the proposed air service was likely to be a very valuable one to New Zealand. The Government deserved approval for deciding to come to some arrangement with Pan-American Airways. They had refused to be stampeded into a decision and it appeared that they had stipulated as a quid pro quo that British air lines in the future should have the right to land on American soil in return £or the use of New Zealand soil by American aircraft. A service across the Pacific could not be successful without a suitable terminal and the only terminals available were New Zealand and Australia. British interests in general and New Zealand interests in particular should be safeguarded and the Government had done that and should be commended accordingly.