MR SERVICES

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 November 1939, Page 2

MR SERVICES

WEST COAST ALTERATIONS Although Cook Strait Airways, have been forced to withdraw from the Nelson-West Coast route, owing to the commandeer by the Government of their machines, the service is to be continued, with slight modifications, negotiations having been concluded by Air Travel (N.Z.) Ltd., for the carrying on of the service as long as the company is able during the war. Cook Strait Airways will make their last West Coast run. in the the meantime, next Thursday and the Hokitika company will take over the service on Friday. In a statement-, Mr. J. C. Mercer, of Air Travel (N.Z.). Ltd., said that at present, the Government had decided not to commandeer any of the company’s machines, because the work it was doing on the West Coast was recognised as a national service. The Westland route was the only one in New Zealand on which aeroplanes could not be done without. A slight increase in fares was likely, by probably 5/- as the company’s machines had not the same seating capacity as those operated by Cook Strait Airways. Air Travel would not need to increase its staff of eleven. Services south from Nelson, will be run daily, except on Sundays, calls being made at Westport and Greymouth, and the terminus being at Hokitika. A curtailed service on the Wellington-Blenheim-Nelson route is to be run by Cook Strait Airways, and some slight alterations in the timetable have been made necessary. The aeroplane will leave Hokitika at 9.45 a.m., and arrive at Nelson at 12.30 p.m. leaving again at 1 p.m., and reaching Hokitika at 3.45 p.m. Instead of leaving Wellington at 7.45 a.m., passengers lor the West Coast will in future leave at 11.45 a.m. Twin-engined Dragonfly machines will be used on the new 200 miles added to the air lines of Air Travel, whose route will now extend from Nelson to Jackson’s Bay a distance of 350 miles.