MAILS BY AIR

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 146, 21 June 1940, Page 9

MAILS BY AIR

HEAVY DEMAND

INTER-ISLAND TRAFFIC

EXTRA SERVICES

The cancellation for the time being of ferry steamer services between Wellington and the South Island has resulted in an abnormal demand on Union Airways and Cook Strait Airways services for the carriage of passengers and mails. Every endeavour has been made to meet the position as far as ppssible with the limited number of machines available, and many trips between the two islands, in addition to- the normal schedules, have been arranged. Letter mails were carried yesterday between Wellington and Christchurch and also between Wellington and Marlborough, and all the. available passenger accommodation was booked for the normal schedule trips and for the extra ones. Similar arrangements for an augmented service have been made for today. A special mail plane, with 13001b of mail and four passengers, left Rongotai for Wigram at 6.30 a.m., and left the southern airport on the return journey at 8.30 a.m. with passengers and mail. On the downward journey the plane also carried 6001b of films for South Island theatres and 4401b of cut flowers from Auckland, Otaki, and other places. The extra machine left on a further special return trip to Wigram at 11 a.m. and returned to Wellington at ■ 2.25 p.m. It then left on a return trip to Blenheim to cope with heavy traffic. A further special, return trip was made between Wellington and Blenheim during the morning. Further special arrangements will be made for tomorrow if necessary. At present it is mainly first-class mail matter that is being transported by air between Wellington and Christchurch, but it is hoped to transport some of the accumulated second-class mail matter during the course of today. The majority of would-be travellers between the two islands have resigned themselves to waiting for the resumption of the usual shipping services, and a shipping official remarked this morning that the first boats to leave would have their accommodation taxed to the full, probably for several consecutive trips. Meanwhile, those with urgent business have to wait their turn for ah air passage. j