WELL IN HAND

Stratford Evening Post, Volume II, Issue 224, 20 April 1933, Page 5

WELL IN HAND

Dominion Air Service

COMMENCEMENT IN OCTOBER NEXT

Press • Association. —Copyright,

Dunedin, April 19.—The organisation of a Dominion air service which will link the principal centres as tar soutn as Chnsichurcn ana perhaps Tunaru was stated to-day by Mr. H. M. Mackay, managing director of New Zealand Airways, to be well in hand, and it is nopeci to inaugurate the service in October next.

Three m ‘nes, one of which has already been purchased at Sydney for the company, will be used in the service, which it is hoped will form the foundation for a regular trans-Tasman air line. The passenger plane Southern Sky, which was secured from Australian National Airways, was purchased at a cost of £9150 and not £loo as was stated in a cabie published this morning, said Mr. Mackay. This machine, which was one of several used by Australian. National Airways, was an Avro 10 of a design somewhat similar to the Southern Cross and was one of the fleet used in tne Meibourne-Tasmania, MelbourneSyduey and Sydney-Brisoane services, having been flying on these lines for 12 months.

The Avro 10 machine would carry up to 14 passengers. It was much faster than the Soutnern Cross, having a cruising speed of 100 miles an hour. Sir Charles Kingsford Smith had specially recommended this type of plane as most suitable for the proposed service. Sir Charles was identifying himself with the project, in which he would be interested financially, while he would also tahe a position on the directorate of the company. New Plymouth, it is understood, will be a stopping place for the service.