WEATHER INTERRUPTS AIR SERVICES, BUT ALL REACH RIGHT PLACES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22670, 22 June 1948, Page 4

WEATHER INTERRUPTS AIR SERVICES, BUT ALL REACH RIGHT PLACES

(i > A ) WELLINGTON, June. 22Weather conditions over the southern part of the North Island and the northern part of the South Island badly interrupted air services yesterday.

Although there were no high winds, low cloud and drizzle made visibility so poor that Paraparaumu aerodrome could not be used until after 9.30 a.m. Nelson aerodrome also was out of use for some time owing to similar conditions. , . As a result of Paraparaumu being unusable the normal early Nelson and Blenheim services were postponed. When Paraparaumu cleared, however, a Douglas, an Electra, and a Dominie aircraft flew extra trips to relieve the accumulation of passengers at Nelson and Blenheim. Two early planes from Palmerston North which were to have flown services from Paraparaumu were also seriously delayed. Later in the morning the weather cleared sufficiently to resume the normal schedules. The first trunk plane was to have flown direct to Christchurch from Palmerston North, but at the last moment it was able to call at Paraparaumu. However, Nelson aerodrome clouded over and for some time was unusable. As a result the plane from Westport could not get through and the West Coast service was delayed.

Further Deterioration in Afternoon

In the afternoon again the weather deteriorated over the Wellington Province. The final Douglas service from Auckland to Dunedin was delayed to such an extent that it could only get as far as Christchurch last night and passengers were taken on last night by car. Northbound passengers who would have left Dunedin in the same plane this morning were brought north also by car to Christchurch so that the plane could leave on schedule this morning.

The aircraft from Auckland scheduled to fly to Wellington, via New Plymouth and Palmerston North yesterday afternoon, was held up at New Plymouth and the passengers were brought to Wellington by car. The final service, via Palmerston North and Napier to Auckland from Paraparaumu, was also cancelled owing to bad weather between Wellington and Palmerston North. “Everyone finished up in the right place, despite the delays,” said _ Mr. M. G. Turner, an executive of National Airways.