AIR TRANSPORT NOT ABLE TO COPE WITH CARGO AVAILABLE

Greymouth Evening Star, 6 April 1948, Page 6

AIR TRANSPORT NOT ABLE TO COPE WITH CARGO AVAILABLE

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The reason for the delays in the air transit of cargo from the United Kingdom to New Zealand was recently investigated by the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, which has received through the Sydney Chamber of Commerce a reply to its complaint. Quantas Airways, Sydney, writes: “At present the amount of .cargo offering in the United Kingdom for New Zealand and Australia is far in excess of that offering from New Zealand and Australia for the United Kingdom. With three services a fortnight the Lancastrian, which carries the bulk of the cargo, is not lifting the amount of cargo available in the United Kingdom, thus, causing the delay, which, at present, is 10 days in the United Kingdom. “Again, although we normally operate eight services weekly from Sydney to New Zealand, adverse weather over the Tasman may cause a delay of five to 10 days in Sydney.” The letter added that the quantity of air cargo from the United Kingdom had increased by about 10,000 per cent, since hostilities ceased. It was hoped..to have sufficient aircraft operating in the not too distant future.