N.Z. AIR SERVICE

Grey River Argus, 23 March 1935, Page 5

N.Z. AIR SERVICE

No Merger (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, March 22. Tlie 'Transport Co-ordination Boart lias still before it the question o 1 licenses for main trunk air services This morning, representatives of the applying companies again met in ai endeavour to reach an agreement, bu’ without success. The Board will therefore proceed with the hearing of the individual applications. P. E. Patlrick and A. R. Hislop, re presenting the Wellington Chamber oi Commerce, this morning strongly urged that Wellington should be a point of call in any trunk service, which was not provided for in the proposed route of the Union Airways. Yesterday afternoon, Squadron-Leader Isitt had said Rongotai would be closed by weather conditions against regular aircraft operation on ten per cent, of the days. Mr Hislop said the Chamber would be satisfied with 90 per cent, of a regular service.

Much of the discussion centred round the suitability of Rongotai, th? Chairman suggesting that a suitable new year resolution for the Chamber would be to buy bigger and better aerodromes. A deputation waited on the Minister of Finance, following the sitting

of the Transport Co-ordination Board and urged that all the main centres should be covered by any air service Replying, the Minister agreed that a start should be made in the best way economically possible. It was difficult to see that a service eliminat ing Auckland and Invercargill could be satisfactory.

The Trunk License THREE KEEN COMPETITORS. WELLINGTON, March 22. Lengthy negotiations for the purpose of combining the companies com peting for a trunk air service have apparently proved abortive Their claims were again presented to the Transport Co-ordination Board at this af te rnoon ’.s s'i 11 ing. For the Great Pacific Airways, Mr G. P. Finlay said his company proposed to serve a greater area than did the Union Company, and would cover it more comprehensively. Its proposals were based on a report of Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, and the late Mr C. P. Ulm, and they aimed at the development of a service from Auckland to Dunedin, together with feeder serMr C. G. Wh'ite for the Union Coy. said that 'his company were honest enough to say that they would not call at Wellington till the facilities were better there. It would be easy for the applicant to say, after a license was granted, that they would not call there Mr H. J. Knight, of New Zealand Airways, said that, first, their service was concentrating on freight. They would run from Palmerston North to Dunedin, but their aim would be to connect with Auckland and New Plymouth at the earliest possible date. The Board will sit again to-morrow. SOUTH ISLAND PAGEANT. NELSON. March 22. The South Island A'ir Pageant commenced this morning in glorious .weather. The zero hour competition was won by the ZK—A AX, Western Federated (J. Strachan, pilot), which arrived exactly at 11.30 a.m. A.C.H. Western Federated, arrived at 11.29* a.m.; A.A. A., Marlborough, 11.294 a.m.; A.B.A. Manawatu, 11.29| a.m.: A.B.E. Wairarapa, 11.304 a.m. A large number of machines are arriving to-morrow, and the function promises tb be a great success.