EMPIRE AIRWAYS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18586, 21 December 1934, Page 5

EMPIRE AIRWAYS

GREAT EXPANSION PLAN

IMPROVED SERVICES

FASTER & MORE FREQUENT

TRANS-ATLANTIC SCHEME

(Klee. Tel. Copyright —United Press Assn.) (Received D.ec. 21, noon) LONDON, Dec. 20. In the House.'of Commons, Sir Philip Sassoon, outlining a scheme for the development of Imperial air communications, said .the main features were, firstly, (faster • schedules; secondly, jmore frequent, services; and thirdly, all firstclass mail matter to the Empire to be carried'; by air. . \ The scheme envisaged a service to Australia twice! a week, occupying seven days. tie emphasised that the whole scheme thus far was provisional, and depended on the co-operation of the Governments concerned.

The Daily Herald says that three ol Britain’s leading constructors have started- ■ preliminary work in building the first fleet of trans-Atlantic flying boats, capable .of flying to Canada non-stop and carrying loads sufficiently great to make the ocean service a paying proposition, carrying firstly mails and then passengers.

■ The Evening Standard says the Empire ts on the eve of the. greatest airway expansion, plan, in history. Imperial Airways intend to abandon the present trans-European route, using instead the great flying' boats travelling via Gibraltar, Malta, Alexandria, and tho Persian Gulf to India, and thus avoiding alien territory. Gibraltar will become an air centre of first importance as the junction of the Far East, Cape, and South American services.

STARTLING ADVANCE

NEW ZEALAND’S INTEREST

SERVICE OVER TASMAN

(Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. The Postmaster-General, the Hon. A. Hamilton, stated to-day that negotiations had been proceeding for some time past with His Majesty’s Government in Great Britain for an Empire air mail. The Minister said he was now able to announce that the proposal included a twice-weekly air service between Britain and Australia for the carriage of first-class mail by air only. The scheme was hasc-d on the carriage of a letter weighing half an ounco from Eqgland to Australia for the existing English postal rate of l£d. Much has to be done yet, and it is not likely that this scheme can come into force until 1937.

So far, this country has not. dealt with tho carriage of mail across the Tasman by air, but no doubt New Zealanders will look forward to an extension of the scheme from Sydney to New Zealand. It will be recollected that the Government elected to become a foundation member of the Empire air scheme, and is now contributing £SOOO a year by way of token payment. A further sum will be necessary if New Zealand is to benefit by the new scheme, which must be regarded ns even more startling than the introduction of penny postage within the Empire.