TAXED TO CAPACITY

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 150, 22 December 1938, Page 10

TAXED TO CAPACITY

NEED FOR MORE ROOM

"The fact that the commercial air traffic on Saturday will tax Rongotai aerodrome almost to its full capacity indicates the immediate need for increased airport accommodation at Wellington to meet the present and future needs of this rapidly growing branch of transport," said an official of the air travel department of the Union Steamship Co. at Wellington, in an interview with "The^Post" today.

No criticism of the present Rongotai airport or the staff was implied in his remax-ks, the speaker added. In fact, the facilities provided there compared favourably with any airport in New Zealand or Australia, and the action of the .Wellington City Council in engaging additional staff to assist in rapid handling of aircraft and passengers during the coming busy period was typical of the co-operation that the commercial services had always received. It was obvious, however, that the restricted area available for runways was placing too small a limit on the number of incoming and outgoing planes that could be dealt with in a given period. Air travel was making tremendous strides and for the aerodrome to be fully taxed by a peak period now was an indication that in the near future it would be barely large enough to handle normal traffic^ In view of the increased traffic the administration buildings at Rongotai were insufficient to cope with the requirements, but the City Council had arranged to make a start early in the New Year on reconstruction of the building, which would separate the inwards and outwards traffic flows. The erection of the recently-completed control tower was another step towards providing for future development.