CHAIN OF AIRPORTS

Evening Star, Issue 25083, 26 January 1944, Page 6

CHAIN OF AIRPORTS

CLAIMS OF DUNEBIH DISTRICT Just recently the claims of Dunedin to be the New Zealand terminal of a trans-Tasman air service, were, advocated by'the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce says the ,' Southland Daily News.' The Mayor of; invercargill, Mr »A. Wachner, spoke to the Mayor or Dunedin, Mr A. H. Allen, on the subject, says the Southland ipaper, and Mr Allen assured him that there was no competitive spirit about it, but Dunedin wished to make sure that it would not be overlooked when the question ot. an airport was being decided. When the above statement was referred to him by the ' Star ' this morning Mr Allen said that a meeting ot provincial delegates in Dunedin in October last set up a committee for the purpose of ascertaining the best site for an airport for Otago, and to urge upon the Government that the Dunedin district should provide one ot the main links in the Dominion's chain of airports and that the airport in this district should be suitable in every way for the accommodation of the largest overseas aircraft likely to visit the Dominion in the future. "In our desire to secure such an airport for Otago," continued Mr Allen, "we do not wish to be competitive with our sister province of Southland. We recognise that if they, too, become one of the links in the chain it will be to the advantage of Dunedin and Otago." According,to the 'Southland News ' the Invercargill Chamber of Commerce is supporting invereargill's claim. A Union Airways - official recently referred to the Invercargill airport as a future base on the internal line but no information has been received yet about it being, a link on the interDominion service, though the Chamber of Commerce is keeping this project in mind. The potentialities of Bluff Harbour as a base for seaplanes for commercial flying was discussed some time ago. _____