EMPIRE AIR MAILS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22009, 16 January 1935, Page 8

EMPIRE AIR MAILS

FOURTH ARRIVING TO-DAY BEST TIME YET RECORDED After being despatched from England on December 29 a quantity of Empire air mail reached Wellington by the Wanganella from Sydney yesterday afternoon, the time of transit between the two countries being 17 days. This is the fastest time in which mails have ever been transported between the two countries.

The first Empire air mail to reach New Zealand under the Empire air mail service was brought from Brisbane to Auckland by the Orient liner Oronsay on December 26, 18 days after being despatched from England. The mail, which was due here on December 24, was delaj-ed owing to it missing connection at Sydney with the Monowai and afterwards having to be forwarded from Sydney to Brisbane. The second despatch of Empire air mail arrived at Wellington from Sydney by the Marama on January 2. It was fortunate that the Marama sailed from Sydney on that occasion on a Saturday. Had she left on Friday, her usual sailing day, the mail would have been delayed in Sydney for some days until the next steamer was leaving for New Zealand. The third Empire air mail reached Auckland last Saturday, 21 days after it left England. It arrived at Sydney on January 5, the day after the Monowai had sailed for Wellington. The next steamer to leave Sydney was the Mariposa, which sailed last Wednesday with the mail and reached Auckland on Saturday morning. Mails by the new service are scheduled to reach New Zealand in 16 days, but owing to the fact that they arrive at Sydney on Saturday it is probable that delay will often again occur because the usual sailing day for the regular intercolonial steamers is Friday, a delay until Saturday occurring only on special occasions.