AIRWAY SERVICES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23471, 7 October 1939, Page 10

AIRWAY SERVICES

SCHEDULES CURTAILED MACHINES FOR TRAINING GISBORNE TRIP SUSPENDED Following the announcement by the Minister of Defence, tlie Hon. that all aircraft owned by' Union Airways and Cook Strait Airways, except the ]x>ckheed machines of the former company, are to be taken over fqr training purposes by the Government-, Union Airways yesterday stated that the service from Auckland to Gisborne will be suspended from next Saturday., It is also the company's intention to curtail the number of flights between Auckland and Wellington. The service to Gisborne, which was opened last March, has been maintained by the company's de Havilland 86 air liners. The journey has been made tri-weeklv, aeroplanes leaving Auckland for Gisborne on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and returning on the following day in each case. On both outward and return journeys stops were made at Tauranga and Opotiki. The last outward trip will be made from Auckland on Friday. The Auckland-Wellington service schedule will be amended from next Saturday,, the daily noon trip from Auckland and 8.40 a.m. flight from Wellington being suspended. The present scheduled S a.m. departure from Auckland and noon departure from Wellington will bo unaltered. Thesemachines will continue to maintain the through service between Auckland and Dunedin. the South Island aeroplane, leaving Wellington at 11.20 a.m. and Dunedin at 8.30 a.m.

These are the only services at present affected, but when the Government lias taken all the machines required Union Airways will have only four Lockheeds left. There will then probably be another adjustment in the company's programmes.