THE AIRWAYS

Evening Star, Issue 22325, 29 April 1936, Page 8

THE AIRWAYS

NEW TIMETABLE COMMENCEMENT MADE TO-DAY Commencing this morning, Union Airways’ new time-table came into operation when the Kotuku left the Taieri aerodrome at 8.15 for Palmerston North via Christchurch and Blenheim. The southbound service is not affected, and the Korimako arrived at 12.50 from Palmerston North. Under the new araugements the air express will leave Dunedin at 8.15 daily, calling at Christchurch at 9.50, and Blenheim at 11.25, and arriving at Palmerston North at 12.35. Under the old timetable passengers departing from Dunedin at 11.30 and transhipping at Blenheim to Cook Strait Airways’ machines did not arrive at Wellington before 3.45 p.m., whereas, under the new timetable passengers now reach Wellington by noon, and mails can be sorted for afternoon delivery. The authorities responsible for despatching the local weather report for the Dominion forecast were advised this morning that their report would have to be supplied half an hour earlier, at 8.30 a.m. instead of 9 o’clock, in order to have the information available for the air liners. Although the new service may_ benefit many Dunedin people, it will hit Invercargill residents particularly hardly. In order to catch the northbound liner, Southland residents would have to leave Invercargill at 4 a.m., or else spend the night in Dunedin. Southern mails will be brought by the night goods train in time to catch the outgoing liner. However, there is only a comparatively small amount of mail coming from Invercargill to join the liner each day, while since the service has started, only 17 Invercargill passengers had been booked for the service. That Southland residents were beginning to realise the possibilities of air travel, however, was proved by the fact that nine of the total of 17 passengers booked this month. “ The Southland Aero Club has for some time had under consideration the adoption of measures to ensure an air connection with the Union Airways service,” said the president of the club (Mr H.‘ J. Macalister) when the matter was referred to him.. “ With the old time-table this would be practicable, but the alteration in the time of departure from Dunedin would render the scheme impracticable. In the winter this early departure would not be desirable. However. I have no doubt that if, and when. Southland interests are in a position to open up a feeder service to Dunedin, the time-table will be a matter of arrangement with Uiiion Airways. Such a feeder service must come within a very short time, and I do not anticipate that any difficulty will arise in effecting a satisfactory adjustment with Union Airways.”