PACIFIC AIRWAYS ALLIES FAIL TO AGREE

Wanganui Chronicle, 5 September 1946, Page 5

PACIFIC AIRWAYS ALLIES FAIL TO AGREE

RECIPROCAL LANDING RIGHTS

(From C. R. Mentiplay, Special N.Z. Press Association Correspondent) Sydney, Sept. 1,

The failure of the four war-time Allies to agree on such an apparently trivial matter as an exchange of reciprocal landing rights for commercial planes is the only thing preventing the operation of the co-ordinated system of air services linking Canada, the United States, New Zealand and Australia by the shortest routes. The organisation is ready and suitable aircraft are available in ade'quate numbers, but negotiations have been suspended temporarily with little gained. Various parties hold grimly to their monopolies over certain sections of the only possible

route and barriers which the war brushed aside have been reimposed. The only gain that has been made is that British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines, a joint company owned by the British, Australian and New Zealand Governments, can commence a restricted service.

A Douglas DC4 Skymaster, belong

ing to the interim operator, Australian National Airways, will leave Melbourne airport at 4 p.m. on September 15 on the first leg of the 8420- * mile flight to Vancouver. Although, during the flight, it will land and fuel at United States airports, it cannot pick up or set down passengers, cargo er mail at these points, ’’assengers to San Francisco must be overcarried to Vancouver and make their way back by other means, though the plane touches clown at San Francisco Municipal Airport. TSere are many other anomalies, but the limited gains won have been made at the expense of months of negotiations. A schedule of this first familiarisation flight, which has just been released, indicates that the Skymaster is expected to cover the 8420 miles in 421 hours' flying time. The flight will be in six hops, as follows: Melbourne to Sydney, 585 miles; Sydney to Nausori (Fiji), 1995 miles; Nausori to Canton Island, 1275 miles; Canton to Honolulu, 1911 miles; Honolulu to Oakland (San Francisco). 2115 miles; Oakland to Vancouver..