The Gisborne Times TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 1935. A MILESTONE IN THE DISTRICT’S HISTORY.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXXII, Issue 12530, 16 April 1935, Page 4

The Gisborne Times TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 1935. A MILESTONE IN THE DISTRICT’S HISTORY.

That East Coast Airways Ltd., which begins its service between Gisborne and Napier to-day, will enjoy tlie, fullest measure of success will be the ' sincere hope of all residents of both Poverty Bay and Hawke’s Bay. It may be described as a most laudable enterprise, in that it provides the most modern form of transport between the two districts, and all who made it possible lor the service to be established are entitled to much commendation. In the past couple of decades. Poverty Bay lias witnessed remarkable progress in the development of communications with outside districts. The passenger steamer services of earlier days were unquestionably, of great advantage but, with the establishment of main highways to the north and to the south,' they became unprofitable and were superseded. It does not, of course, now follow that the whole of the present oVerland passenger traffic will leave the main highways lor the highways of the air. Since the days of well-surfaced roads, some of the finest motor services in the Dominion have been established in this district, whilst ears privately owned here have reached very substantial numbers. The air service will, however, provide the most speedy means of travel between Poverty Bay and Hawke’s Bay and should be largely availed of by passengers who require to make the .journey in the least possible time. It may be the case that, in the event of a great storm, this district will still be liable to be cut off temporarily from the south as well as from the north, but the air service mill provide the quickest means ,-f restoring passenger services in such an emergency. East. Coast Airways Ltd. are not, as is well-known, pioneering the Gisborne-Napier air service. Its potentialities were realised some years back and a service with less pretentious planes was tried out but discontinued. With up-to-date machines, however, the new company is able to cater for the travelling public upon a basis which should be profitable to its shareholders. On every hand, th.-i advent of the new air service has been warmly welcomed and the hope will be widely felt that it may long enioy a profitable as well as a very useful career.