PACIFIC AIR SERVICE

Southland Times, Issue 23306, 16 September 1937, Page 6

PACIFIC AIR SERVICE

Dominion Terminal At Auckland

DECISION REACHED YESTERDAY START ON CONSTRUCTION SHORTLY / (Special to The Times) WELLINGTON, September 15. The New Zealand terminal for the projected Pacific air service by PanAmerican Airways will definitely be established at Auckland, according to a decision reached in Wellington today by the chairman cf the Auckland Harbour Board (the Hon. C. T. Bloodworth, M.L.C.) and Mr Harold Gatty, the New Zealand representative of PanAmerican Airways. The American company has agreed to the lease of the proposed area of land in Mechanic s Bay from the Harbour Board for use as a base and terminal.

Following the announcement of an agreement on this point Mr Gatty intimated that a start would be made almost immediately on the construction of base facilities at one end. Possibly two further survey flights would be carried out over the route from Honolulu and a commercial service would be in operation before the end of the year. Before the agreement was made, both Mr Bloodworth and Mr Gatty had separate interviews with the Minister of Marine (the Hon. P. Fraser) who has been dealing with matters arising from overseas air services on behalf of the Government. Subsequently Mr Bloodworth, who was accompanied by Mr D. Holderness, superintendent of the board, had a lengthy conference with Wing Commander T. M. Wilkes, Director of Civil Aviation. Mr Bloodworth stated this evening that an agreement had been reached with Mr Gatty as the representative of Pan-American Airways to lease the proposed area of land for a period of two years with the right of renewal for three further periods, each of two years, at a set, annual rental. The total period of eight years covered the term of the existing agreement between the company and the New Zealand Government. The board would agree to cancel the lease in the event of the service by PanAmerican Airways being discontinued. PERMANENT SITE Mr Gatty expressed complete satisfaction with the terms of the agreement and stated that at the expiry of eight years the company would be almost certain to know its full requirements about landing facilities. It seemed almost certain that a permanent site for the base would still be available and at the end of that time it would be known definitely whether the service would be continued on permanent lines. „ .. “At the end of eight years, said Mr Gatty, “we should be able to go in for a permanent site and put up permanent terminal facilities. In the meantime the terminal which we propose to construct will be of a somewhat temporary nature, although it will be adequate for all present requirements. Exactly the same position obtains today at San Francisco where we have temporary facilities until we, can gauge all the future requirements.” , Mr Gatty mentioned that six members of the company’s staff would arrive at Auckland by the Monterey on the liner’s next southward voyage. A start would be made on the construction of the company’s base .during the next few weeks and everything would probably be in readiness for the survey flight which would be made towards the end of November. There might be a further survey flight but the commercial service would be in operation before the end of December with a round trip every two weeks.