No Trans-Tasman Air Service Yet

Horowhenua Chronicle, 28 May 1935, Page 8

No Trans-Tasman Air Service Yet

MUST COME EVENTUALLY, SAYS

SIR KEITH SMITH

/By Telegraph —Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Last Night.

Sir Keith Smith arrived at Wellington to-day by the Monowai from Sydney. He said the object of his visit was to see the trials at Auckland of the new Vickers Vildebeest bombers at present being assembled at Hobsonville. He was himself Australasian representative of Vickers (Aircraft) Limited.

Discussing Sir Charles Kingsford Smith’s unsuccessful Tasman flight, he said he did not think the flight would prejudice the public against the eventual establishment of a trans-Tasman air service. When a company could offer them perfectly organised and entirely efficient service that would be able to pay for itself the public would lend their support. It would have to be a thoroughly punctual, regular and safe system ready to link up with Imperial Airways.

Sir Keith did not think such a service would be offered before 1937 at the earliest. It was important to consider whether there was yet a demand for such a service. It would be better to concentrate on internal airways than to rush into the establishment of a heavily-subsidised service which would be a burden to the taxpayer and would carry only one or two passengers and a few pounds of mail. He did not consider that the obtaining of machines would present much difficulty. In his opinion a flying boat would be the most suitable sort of plane.