TRUNK AIR SERVICES

Evening Star, Issue 22031, 17 May 1935, Page 3

TRUNK AIR SERVICES

AUCKLAHD-OUHEDIH PROJECT A FURTHER STEP FORWARD [Per United Press Association.] AUCKLAND, May 16. The inauguration of the AucklandDunedin trunk air service was advanced a; further stage to-day, when a private company was registered in Auckland under the name of Aviation Development Ltd. The company’s directorate comprises Mr E. T. Fisk, of Sydney, chairman and managing director of Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia) Ltd., and Messrs Ernest Davis (Mayor of . Auckland), George W. Hutchison, Eric H. Rhodes, and J. Marsden Caughey. The principal objective of the. company is to co-operate with and assist financially and otherwise Mr Trevor S.. Withers, of Auckland, in the formation of the Great Pacific Airways (N.Z.) Ltd., and in. generally arranging for the inauguration of the latter company’s system of trunk air services. The capital of the company, which may be increased if considered necessary, is £I,OOO, and is subscribed equally by the five directors, all of whom are provisional directors of Great Pacific, Airways (N.Z.) Ltd. Mr Trevor S. Withers stated that everything possible was being done to expedite the inauguration of the company’s trunk air service. Mr Fisk would arrive in England during the present week, and would immediately, in conjunction with leading English experts, investigate recent aviation developments in Great Britain with. a view to selecting the most suitable aircraft and other equipment. Mr Withers stated that under no consideration would he or his directors contemplate anything in the nature of a race to be “ first into the air.” The Union Airways would operate over a comparatively short route, nad would have cor-, respondingly less flying and ground organisation to consider. : In the case of the Great Pacific Airways, no expense would be spared to ensure that the organisation over the whole of the Auckland-Dunedin route was as perfect as that upon the leading air- routes of Great Britain and the United States. The date of the commencement of the services would be largely contingent upon the time taken to render the trunk route airports suitable for operation by the fast machines proposed. The airport authorities and municipalities throughout the dominion had now awakened to their responsibilities in this connection, said Mr Withers, and the Unemployment Board and the Public Works Department were also cooperating in the improvement of certain aerodromes. In the case of Auckland and Dunedin it was to be hoped the civic authorities would in the near future take steps to provide aerodromes closer to these cities than those at present available. It would bo immediately necessary in the case of Christchurch to provide a municipal airport, in view of the recent announcement that the Wigram aerodrome would shortly be restricted to the use of military aircraft. The Rongotai airport at Wellington would require to be materially enlarged, or an auxiliary landing field provided within easy access. of Wellington. Improved airport facilities would also be required at Wanganui, Palmerston North, Blenheim, and Timaru.

“ Subject to all the aerodromes on the trunk air route being by then rendered suitable for operation, we hope to have our services in regular operation by December or January,” said Mr Withers.