THE AIRWAYS SYSTEM

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26558, 5 September 1947, Page 4

THE AIRWAYS SYSTEM

The report from our special correspondent in Wellington, which was printed in our news columns yesterday, makes clear the fact that although the Government has yielded to public demand by appointing a committee to inquire into the airport system' of New Zealand, the committee is as yet unaware of what its precise task is to be. No order of reference has yet been prepared for it, and no announcement has yet been made to indicate whether interested persons and organisations will be given the opportunity of making representations regarding the transport of passengers or freight. This constant delay and procrastination by a Government in search of an air policy is inexcusable. At long last the authorities have admitted the danger of operating commercial aircraft from Rongotai and have diverted air traffic to the more distant airfield at Paraparaumu. An airport situated at more than an hour’s drive from the city cannot possibly be satisfactory in this small country, Eftid the inconveniences and added expense attendant on the use of Paraparaumu should be a spur to official endeavours to investigate thoroughly the whole question of airports. No definite announcement has been made on the subject, but it may be assumed that the possibility of introducing flying boat services on trunk routes will be considered by the committee, and those organisations which have interested themselves in the prospect of a chain of marine airports should make every endeavour to see that the case for this means of transport is presented fully to the committee. Already, time and opportunity have been lost. The Government, after repeated urgings, finally agreed to invite the opinion of Mr Peter Masefield, Director-general of Long Term Planning at the British Ministry of Civil Aviation, on the feasibility of establishing marine air bases at Evans Bay and elsewhere. Mr Masefield, who has been spoken of as the “ coming man ” in British civil aviation —if, indeed, he has not already “ arrived ” —was at that time in Australia attending a meeting of the South Pacific Air Transport Council but, as is intimated in a news item elsewhere in this issue, he will be back in Great Britain j before the invitation from the New j Zealand Government reaches him. I Lord Nathan, the British Minister of Civil Aviation, has signified, however, that he would be willing to allow Mr Masefield to visit New Zealand later in-order to make a report, and the committee of inquiry would be doing less than its duty if it failed to secure the advice of this outstanding authority on aviation. The importance of the inquiry which is to be made into the airports system at this critical stage of civil aviation development in the Dominion cannot be underestimated, since the recommendations that will be made, will in all probability determine whether or not air transportation will become a popular and pleasant means of travel or whether it will continue to be the luxury it is at present.