EMPIRE AIRMAIL

Greymouth Evening Star, 9 March 1939, Page 10

EMPIRE AIRMAIL

TRANSIT TIME HALVED. Six months' experience of the Empire mail services has demonstrated that, although there is not yet a complete air route to Britain, the average time taken by letter mails from New Zealand has already been cut down to less than half. When surface transit had to be utilised along the whole route, there were, two fast despatches each month, showing an average of thirty days per trip. Now there are many more despatches each mouth, and the average transit time from New Zealand to Britain for the first six months of the lid all-up Empire air service has varied each month from 15.2 days to 14.2 days. There have been occasions in each of the six months when the journey has been completed in 13 days.

New Zealand's outward mails on the Empire route have maintained a high volume throughout, the period under review, and the- prompt handling of approximately 57,8001 b of letters by the new service demonstrates a high degree of efficiency in its organisation. The weight of the New Zealand letter despatches during the six. months was as follows: —

On the route from England to New Zealand, the- average transit time has been longer than in the reverse direction. This has been due to the fact that, despatches from Zealand can be announced from time to time with, knowledge of a. close connection between the steamer across (he Tasman, and the mail planes. Air mails from Britain reach Australia three times weekly, but are not able to secure so frequent a connection across the Tasman. However, when both services have coincided, mails from Britain have reached New Zealand in August and October within twelve days, although the average time during rush periods of December and January rose to 19 days. The February average improved to 16 days.

Total lb. U.K. proportion August 8,900 7,750 September .. 7,850 6,750 October 6,300 5,400 November .. 13,600 11,900 December . . 12,600 11,100 January 8,550 7,400