AIR SERVICE ROUTES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22628, 20 July 1935, Page 14

AIR SERVICE ROUTES

GREAT PACIFIC AIRWAYS EXCLUSION OF PALMERSTON NORTH. (Peb United Press Association) AUCKLAND, July 19. An application for an amendment to the recent decision of the Transport Coordination Board, which excluded Palmerston North from the trunk air route of the Great Pacific Airways (N.Z.), Ltd., has been forwarded to the board by Mr Trevor S.\ Withers, organiser of the company. The decision to make the application followed receipt of information which, according to Mr G. W. Hutchison, chairman of directors of Aviation Development, Ltd., made it clear that the final decisions of the board relative to air service licenses were capable of amendment by the board, although apparently no appeal could be made against such decisions. Information was received by the directors to-day that the board had recently amended its final decision relative to the license granted to the Union Airways, Ltd., by including Blenheim as a port of call upon that company’s air route. Mr Hutchison said this amendment was made by the simple expedient of a board minute, and the Union Airways will accordingly now be allowed to include Blenheim as an airport upon its Palmerston North-Dunedin service instead of having to operate a direct service between Palmerston North and Christchurch as provided in the board’s original decision.

“The precedent thus created by the board,” said Mr Hutchison, “establishes beyond all doubt the fact that the board can, if it deems such course to be in the public interest, give further consideration to the inclusion of Palmerston North upon the trunk route of the Great Pacific Airways, and that it can by a minute amend its recent decision in this connection and include Palmerston North in the Great Pacific Airways license. The directors accordingly instructed Mr Withers to apply to the board immediately with a view to having the question of Palmerston North furthe* investigated at a public sitting of the board.”

He added that he was confident that the board "would, in view of the many and emphatic protests voiced at the exclusion of Palmerston North from the Auckland-Dunedin air route, be prepared to give the question , further investigation. Since those interested in the Great Pacific Airways did not oppose the amendment of the board’s final decision relating to the inclusion of Blenheim in the Union Airways route they suggested that no opposition by the Union Airways, Ltd., in regard to Palmerston North should now be expected. it ,