AIR TRANSPORT

Hokitika Guardian, 10 July 1935, Page 8

AIR TRANSPORT

REMARKABLE POSITION. OF FIVE NEW PLANES. DUNEDIN; July 8. A remarkable pssition has arisen about the purchase of five Boeing aeroplanes for the projected operation of commercial services in the Dominion. When the steamer Wairuna arrives at Dunedin on Thursday, New Zealand Airways. Ltd., according to a statement made by the managing director, Mi* H. M. Mackay, to-day. will he in possession of two of these aeroplanes which under the terms of the license granted ' to it by the Transport Co-ordination Board, the company will not he permitted to use. j “This,” Mr Mackay added, “will not he the full extent of the company’s loss, for it has also purchased three other Boeing aeroplanes, which are, now in Vancouver. Shipment of these has been stopped; but all five remain on the company’s hands as almost a dead loss.” Mr" Mackay explained that New Zealand Airways was among the companies Which .applied to the Transport Co-ordination Board for route licenses; but its aspirations in this respect were not fulfilled, and when licenses were grafted to other companies an application by New Zealand Airways for a general air-taxi license to operate over the whole of New Zealand remained before the board. In this, the use of the Boeing machines was specified. Recently, the company was advised that the board had granted it ,a taxi license which provided that the only machines to be used were the Puss Moth, all three-seater aeroplanes I which the company had previously been using in its operations. The license, which would remain in force for five years from October 31, 1934. also limited the service to the carfying of passengers and goods on journeys to any .part of the South Island, commencing from or terminating at the aerodromes at Tiinaru or Dun* edin. The Boeing aeroplanes, which the terms of the license precluded the empany from using, Mr Mackay added, had been ordered nine months ago.' The company ha been unable to prevent the shipment of two of them, and it had teen fortunate to avert the 1 dispatch of the other three. These aeroplanes, which were four-passenger machines, also designed for the transport of freight, were single-engined. They had a. cruising speed of 125 miles an hour, and a top speed of 143 miles an hour The Transport Co-ordination Board, in coming to its decision, had been aware, that the machines had been ordered.