PAN-AMERICAN AIRWAYS

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 December 1937, Page 7

PAN-AMERICAN AIRWAYS

SERVICE TO NEW ZEALAND.

[B\ cable —PRESS ASSN. —COPYRIGHT.j

SAN FRANCISCO, December 9.

Mr J., Walton, manager of the Pan American Airways Pacific Coast office, told the Associated Press to expect an official announcement on the New Zealand service shortly. He said the chief difficulty was the lack of equipment, but six Boeing clippers, described asi the largest in America, were being built at Seattle for Pan American Airways. Two ; were nearly ready, and it was expected that the first would be available early in! February. These machines will be 109 feet long, with a wingspan of 152 feet. They will weigh 42 tons. They will accommodate 75 passengers and have a top speed of 200 miles an hour and a cruising speed of 150 miles an' hour. The fact that Congress has not 'made an appropriation of funds for a mail contract on the New Zealand ■service cannot be interpreted asi nullifying the Pan American company’s plans. Pan American Airways has been operating a service to Bermuda for eight months without a mail contract.

Referring to co-operation with Imperial Airways, Mr Walton said: “We have for a long time collaborated technically j but we have not arranged any joint operation. Such a matter is the function of the Government and the inter-department commission.”

QUANTAS RECORD

BRISBANE, Dec. 10.

The Quantas Empire Airways claims the proud record of having covered two and a-half million miles, without a forced landing, or injury to passengers or crews.

The Quantas opened the SingaporeAustralia service three years ago, since when it has safely transported 4350 passengers, 375,000 pounds of mails, and 270,000 pounds’ weight of baggage.

CYGNUS MAILS

AUCKLAND, December 10

Although no official advice has yet been received that air mail from New Zealand was carried! by the Empire flying-boat Cygnus, which crashed in the harbour at Brindisi, it is believed that two consignments have been delayed. Cabled messages stated that Australian mail! weighing more than a ton was salvaged l by the Italian Posh Office officials for drying and forwarding on to London. The for the belief that Now Zealand mail was included in the flying-boat’s cargo are that Dominion letters were due at London on December 6, the scheduled 1 arrival date of the Cygnus. No cabled advice of their arrival at London hasi yet been received at Auckland. The two I consignments were those leaving 'Auckland by the Aorangi on Novem‘ber 16 and the Awatea on November .20.