AIR ROUTES

Southland Times, Issue 25341, 20 July 1935, Page 4

AIR ROUTES

RECENT DECISION POSITION OF PALMERSTON NORTH COMPANY’S FURTHER PLEA (Per United Press Association.) Auckland, July 19. An application for an amendment to the recent decision of the Transport Co-ordination Board which excluded Palmerston North from the trunk air route of Great Pacific Airways (N.Z.) Limited, has been forwarded to the board by Mr Trevor S. Withers, organizer of the company. The decision to mane the application followed the 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 ot amendment by the board, although apparently no appeal coula be made against such decisions. “Information was received by trie directors to-day that the board had recently amended its final decision relative to the license granted to Union Airways, Ltd., by including Blenheim as a port of call upon that company s air route,” Mr Hutchison said. ‘ inis amendment was made by . the simple expedient of a board minute, and Union Airways will accordingly now be allowed to include Blenheim as an airport upon its Palmerston NorthDunedin 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 establishes beyond all doubt the fact that the board can, if it deems such course to be in purilic give further consideration to the inclusion of Palmerston North upon the trunk route of Great Pacific Airways, and that it can by a minute amend its recent decision in this connection and include Palmerston North in 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 further investigated by 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 Auck-land-Dunedin air route, be prepared to give the question the further investigation if so obviously demanded. Since those interested in Great Pacific Airways did not oppose an amendment of the board’s final decision relating to the inclusion of Blenheim in the Union Airways route, they suggested that no opposition by Union Airways, Ltd., in regard to Palmerston North should now be expected.