PACIFIC AIR LINES

Evening Star, Issue 25926, 18 October 1946, Page 6

PACIFIC AIR LINES

BRITISH TRUNK SERVICE NEW ZEALAND A TERMINAL (P.A.) AUCKLAND;; October 17. New Zealand would be a terminal of the trunk service of. British Commonwealth Pacific Air Lines, and not merely linked with the San Francisco-Sydney route by a feeder service, said Sir Leonard Isitt,- chairman of the National Airways Corporation, who returned to-day to Auckland. from a tour of. the civil aviation- facilities at 'several Pacific Islands. : . He said that although it had been suggested that New Zealand’s connection with the British trans-Pacific service might be only a feeder one 'flown by New Zealand aircraft between the Dominion and Fiji, he knew of no change in the original schedule by which Auckland would be a trunk terminal. It was still intended that the fortnightly service of B.C.P.A. should operate between Auckland and San Francisco, and this would begin when the agreement between the Australian and United States Governments over landing rights in the two countries had been reached, said Sir Leonard. Australian National Airways, which, were to operate an interim service until B.C.P.A. was ready to take over with (British aircraft, had Already begun flying between Sydney and Vancouver, but until the landing agreements had been settled they were running without traffic rights, and could not land passengers or mail at any American airport or at any of the American Pacific Islands en route. During the fortnight he had been away front New Zealand he had examined aerodrome and accommodation facilities at Fiji, Samoa, Aitutaki, Rarotonga, New Caledonia, and Norfolk Island, Sir Leonard said. Airfields at these islands were *on the route of the service at present operated by aircraft of No. 40 Squadron, Royal New Zealand Air Force, which was eventually to be taken over by the National Airways Corporation. At all the aerodromes he had visited, the aviation facilities had. been adequate, but suitable and sufficient accommodation for passengers passing through was lacking. The Pacific services of the iR.N.Z.A F. would not be absorbed for some' months yet, he added. The chief reason for the delay was that it was taking some time to convert Air Force aircraft into comfortable civilian planes.