TRANSTASMAN AIR SERVICE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 24 January 1939, Page 9

TRANSTASMAN AIR SERVICE

RADIO EQUIPMENT PLANS WELL ADVANCED WELLINGTON, This Day. The Minister in Charge of Aviation, Mr Jones, announced on Saturday that plans for the provision of radio equipment for the transtasman air service were well advanced in New Zealand, a considerable amount of the required material being in Auckland. The Minister said the radio direction stations on the Tasman route would be of value to both commercial and military aircraft in the future. The Australian Government was attending to the Sydney terminal and the intermediate station at Lord Howe Island, and the New Zealand Government would prepare the New Zealand terminal on land already selected in Auckland, Mr Jones said. Plans were well advanced for the establishment of a fully-equipped station, and if the material on hand had to be supplemented the approval of further purchases would be secured at an early date.

The Minister said he did not know whether the Auckland station wojild eventually direct both transtasman and transpacific aircraft or not. At present Pan-American Airways had a station in Auckland, but a combined station might be used later. As a layman, he could not express an opinion on the practability of such an arrangement. It was probable that the initial building for the transtasman directional plant would be of temporary structure, and th&t a permanent station, would be errected later.