Vast Growth Of RNZAF Transport Services

Northern Advocate, 24 August 1945, Page 4

Vast Growth Of RNZAF Transport Services

(Special) WELLINGTON, This Day. The remarkable growth of the air transport service of the Royal New Zealand Air Force is commented upon in the annual report of the Air Department for the year ended March 31, which was tabled in the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon.

In the year under review pilots of New Zealand transport squadrons covered over 5.000,000 miles, and since the inception of the air transport service there has been no accident involving injury to a passenger.

Regular services are now being operated from New Zealand to Norfolk Island, New Caledonia, New Hebrides, the Solomons, and for considerable distances north and west of this area. In addition to these regular services many special flights of an urgent ccyrier nature are operated between New Zealand and practically every airfield in the South Pacific area. The need for air transport became very pressing with the extension of the activities of the R.N.Z.A.F. farther and farther from New Zealand, according to the report, which was submitted by the Chief of the Air Staff fAir Vice-Marshal L. M. Isitt). The fact that fewer ships had called at New Zealand since the American forces were no longer based here necessitated the transport of practically all personnel by air to and from the theatre of operations. An additional transport squadron was formed, and both squadrons were given additional aircraft. The four Sunderland flying-boats from the United Kingdom were formed into the flying-boat transport flight based on Mechanics’ Bay, Auckland.