TRANS-PACIFIC AIR SERVICE

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23257, 19 July 1945, Page 5

TRANS-PACIFIC AIR SERVICE

Joint Company Projected (7.30 p.m.) LONDON, July 17. Subject to the approval of the Governments concerned, the transpacific aviation service between Canada and Australia, via British possessions and New Zealand, will be conducted by a joint company, in which the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand will be partners, the first-named having a minor share. This route will not come under the British Commonwealth parallel partnership scheme, such as that suggested for the direct United Kingdom to Australia route, unless and until Canada also decided to operate a trans-Pacific service. It is expected that in the event of parallel partnership between Canada a joint company will be arranged, but discussions have not gone beyond the stage which makes that only a probability. Lord Swinton (chairman of the Commonwealth Air Transport Council), giving this information at a Press conference on recommendations from the Commonwealth Air Transport Council, emphasises that the trans-Pacific plans cannot be implemented in the near future because of the Pacific war, which meant that all necessary bases were operating for war purposes and planes were not available, therefore the plans were too nebulous for a more definite statement. It is stated that New Zealand, in addition to a share in the joint company, will participate in the transTasman parallel partnership. The Council supported the establishment without delay of an advisory committee for air navigation and ground organisation as a standing technical committee with headquarters in London but sufficiently mobile to assemble at short notice in different parts of tlie Commonwealth. The committee will comprise a delegate from each Commonwealth country with working panels of specialists to deal with particular operational problems and tiie civil aviation departments of the different Governments.