The Evening Star MONDAY, NOVEMBER, 4, 1946. IMPROVED AIR SERVICES.

Evening Star, Issue 25940, 4 November 1946, Page 6

The Evening Star MONDAY, NOVEMBER, 4, 1946. IMPROVED AIR SERVICES.

The announcement by the Minister of Civil Aviation that there will shortly be three daily air trips between Dunedin and Auckland will: be generally welcomed. Dunedin has been at a considerable disadvantage since the war in air passenger services compared with the other main centres, which have had the benefit of the Dakota service operated by the Royal New Zealand Air Force for both passenger and freight purposes. The main air route was established in New Zealand primarily to provide a fast service for benefit of business men, but the greatly increased popularity of travel by air has had the effect of excluding many southern business men, most of whom . make their journeys at relatively short notice, while the majority of Seats are .frequently occupied by travellers on holiday trips. Naturally, the operators of the service must give preference to those who can plan their trips early, and it often happens that the planes are fully hooked weeks in advance. The new increased service will not operate un-til-early next year, but the Minister jias promised limited increases during the Christmas period, when pressure on all passenger services is particularly heavy. Although the Government did not seem to- exert itself to enable the private air lines to increase their services, it has apparently been very active in expanding facilities since taking over the principal private service in the country, and the programme outlined I>y Mr Jones on Saturday is an amfitious one. Eighteen new planes, some of them converted from military to civil types, are to be added to the fleet.' and the National Airways Corporation is also to take over as soon as possible the Air Force Dakota service. All these expansions will make the corporation an important unit in the passenger transport industry of the country, and it may be expected to carry many thousands of persons a year. The corporation is apparently alert to the possibilities of developing freight services by air. ft has already been suggested that a profitable trade may be done in the carriage of such perishable cargo as fruit and flowers,

and industries may ho able to utilise the services with urgent goods. Along with the expansion of .the internal services the trans-Tasman flying boat services are to be‘increased temporarily to enable more of the waiting passengers to cross between Australia and New Zealand. As the restoration of shipping services across the Tasman is still delayed this extra service will help to fill an urgent need. The outlook for air services all over the world appears to be bright, as the great use of aircraft during the war has undoubtedly contributed to the people of all nations becoming more air-minded. In a broadcast address last night the Chief of the New Zealand Air _ Stuff predicted that in the not distant future air travel would be the cheapest. Flying certainly has very marked advantages in speed over all other forms of travel, and it offers New Zealand one of the best ways of developing its tourist traffic. For that reason it is desirable that the best possible facilities should be provided in this conn-' try so that its services shall not lag behind those elsewhere.