AIRWAYS SERVICE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIV, Issue 285, 30 October 1934, Page 8

AIRWAYS SERVICE

COOK STRAIT ROUTE

Per Press Association

CHRISTCHURCH, Oct. 29. An air service joining AVellington, Blenheim, Nelson, and Hokitika is planned by Cook Strait Airways, a new company of which registrations will be gazetted within a few days. The three main shareholders are the Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand, Ltd., Newman Bros., Ltd., and the Anchor Shipping and Foundry Company, Ltd. The capital of the company will l>e £50,000. The provisional directorate includes Dr. J. P. Jamieson, president of the Nelson Aero Club, Messrs H. C. Cock, J. Newman, AV. Rogers, and E. H. Thomson.

The present intention is that the company’s aeroplanes will leave AA'ellibgton in the morning and cross to Blenheim, Nelson, and Hokitika, which will be reached about noon. There the service tvill connect with the South AVestland service, to be operated by the company in which Mr J. C.- Mercer is interested. In the afternoon the machine will return by the same route, arriving at about 5 or 6 o’clock in the evening. The schedule is, however, only tentative, as the company has at present no idea what types of aeroplanes it will use, except that, because of the water Crossing, they will have more than one engine. A technical adviser will, be appointed soon and will go to England early next year to inquire into the operation of internal air lines in Great Britain and investigate new types of machines. The choice of aeroplanes tvill depend in part on the landing grounds available. At present the Blenheim aerodrome is good, but the Nelson aerodrome needs enlarging before it can be used by moderately large machines. The transport interests backing the new company have a precedent in such companies as Railwavs Air Services in Great Britain, which was formed by four great railway companies and Imperial Airways to connect the main cities of the British Isles. They consider that by entering commercial aviation they are safeguarding their own interests in transport in the districts to be served, while the present organisation tvill ensure effective coordination.

NORTH ISLAND SERAHCES

PALMERSTON NORTH INCLUDED.

Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, Oct. 30. Commenting on the reported formation of Cook Strait Airways, the organiser of Dominion Airways (Mr T. S. Withers) said to-day it was proposed to inaugurate services in two main routes. The principal service would be a daily one in each direction connecting Auckland with Dunedin and possibly Invercargill, via New Plymouth, AVanganui, Palmerston North, AVellington, Blenheim, Christchurch, and Timaru. The second principal service would connect Auckland and Hamilton, Rotorua, Gisborne, Hastings, Dannevirke, Palmerston North, AA'ellington, and possibly Nelson.

He said it was likely the company would operate ’planes similar to that flotvn by Hetvett and Kay in the air race and remarked that it could be safely said that within one year the Dominion would be covered with a network of air routes connecting all the principal centres. Both Hetvett and Kay had already expressed their willingness to join Dominion Airways staff of pilots.