EMPIRE AIR MAIL

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18597, 7 January 1935, Page 11

EMPIRE AIR MAIL

DOMINION DELIVERIES

LIKELIHOOD OF DELAYS

Until faster aeroplanes are in use on the, Singapore-Brisbane section of the new Empire air route from England to Australia, connections with steamers lor New Zealand are likely to be missed frequently at Sydney, with consequent delays in Die arrival of tho New Zealand section of tho mail, according to Mr. H. McGill, assistant postmaster at Auckland. lie said that under present conditions New Zealand’s share ox these mails might reach tho Dominion anything up to a week later than originally planned. The second dispatch of mail from England by the new service reached Australia last week, and the New Zealand section was brought across the Tasman by the Marama, which berthed at Wellington on Wednesday. The Auckland portion of mail was delivered on Thursday. The flight from England was commenced on December 15, and the journey by aeroplane and boat to New Zealand thus occupied 19 days. Mr. McGill said the England-New Zealand journey, using the now air service as far as Australia, was planned originally to occupy from 16 to 18 days, but considerable variations in the time were to be expected. Although a 12days’ trip from London to Sydney was part of tho scheme, this journey was now occupying 13 days or more. the air mail was reaching Sydney on Saturdays at 6 a.m., thus missing the usual Friday steamer for New Zealand. In these circumstances, tho Dominion mail waited in Sydney until there was a suitable vessel leaving. The north-bound air mail was leaving Sydney at present oil Mondays, a day earlier than planned, on account of the longer time necessary for the RrisbaneSingapore flight. This alteration still allowed mail fiom New Zealand to connect with the north-hound aeroplanes, but the position might, he diflerent when the winter strainer schedule between New Zealand and Sydney was iu operation, unless faster ‘aeroplanes were in use by then cm the J’risbaue-Singaporo route.