IMPERIAL AIR ROUTE

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 28 March 1935, Page 6

IMPERIAL AIR ROUTE

Question of Co-operation Remains in Boiling Pot FLYING BOATS TO SYDNEY MORE ECONOMICAL (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph Copyright). Received 1.30 p.m to-day. LONDON, March 27. Mr F. G. L. Bertram, deputy-direc-tor of civil aviation, informed the I Sun-Herald Sendee that the whole ' question of the operation of Imperial | air routes remains in the boiling pot, but the tour showed that all Governments were keen to co-operate in forwarding a great Empire scheme. He was at present preparing with Imperial Airways the information the Commonwealth desired to assist it - to decide on the financial practicability of the proposals and also to reconcile the complicated interests of defence. “In addition to internal Imperial air routes he said, “We were compiling a review of the costs of a flying-boat service from Singapore to Sydney, compared with the costs of establishing adequate overland facilities to continue the present route as a main line.'’ Flying-boats from Darwin to Sydney would be more constantly employed than land planes, giving a more economical operation, while there was no guarantee that aerodromes c-an. he made suitable to all weathers to take the giant land planes of the future. An examination may reveal that internal requirements may' pie equally well served with independent feeder lines without hindering the Empire trunk routes. . The necessity of using flymg-boats to New Zealand when the trans-Tasman service was established, further strengthens the argument for flying-boats to Sydney. '