SOUTH PACIFIC AIR TRANSPORT CONFERENCE OPENS SESSIONS

Wanganui Chronicle, 30 November 1948, Page 4

SOUTH PACIFIC AIR TRANSPORT CONFERENCE OPENS SESSIONS

WELLINGTON, Yesterday (.PA).— There were many important question* concerning the air tiansport of good* and passengers in the South Pacific, and the South Pacific Air Transport Council was meeting for the purpose of determining how Britain, Australia. Canada, F'ijl and New Zealand coula work their transport systems to the benefit of all, said the actingPrime Minister (Mr. Nash) welcoming delegates to today’s conference. Mr. Nash described the meeting as one of the mostrepoch-making conference? io be held in New Zealand for some time- He traced the history of the council from the first conference held in New Zealand in 1936 to discuss the organisation of air transport in the Pacific. Then Tasman Empire Airways had been established and had done a remarkable job in difficult circumstances. Now the B.C.P.A was operating and landing rights had been obtained in Honolulu and San Francisco and a service went right to Vancouver.

Mr. Nash expressed great pleasure at Canada’s full representation for the first time at the conference. He felt the Tasman belonged to Australia and New Zealand. Mr. Nash continued. How long that position would remain he did not know, but he felt at present that the key to Tasman air services lay with those two countries. He added that it was hoped to establish an air service between Christchurch and one of the main Australian cities.

The High Commissioner for the United Kingdom, Sir Patrick Duff, replying on behalf of the United Kingdom delegation, of which he is also leader, said that through the meeting a unified Commonwealth thought would be brought to bear on problems of air transport in the South Pacific.

The High Commissioner for Canada, Mr. Rive, said that Canada had spent many years building up civil aviation and had services reaching across the whole of Canada. Canada, he said, was now turning her eyes to the Pacific.

Mr. J. F. Nicol (Fiji) said it was Fiji’s desire that the Commonwealth should get the fullest benefite of Fiji's strategic position as a staging point on the trunk route to the north, and as a junction. He added that his delegation would do all it could to help the conference reach a conclusion on the vexed problem of an international airport in Fiji.

The Australian Minister of Aviation, Mr. Drakeford, referred to the high standard of the services operating in the South Pacific and added that, despite numerous services in the Pacific and the recent 12 special flights southward from the United States, they were not getting anything like the outward flow of passengers they would like.

The Minister of Civil Aviation (MrJones) was elected chairman of the conference, with Mr. Drakeford as deputy-chairman. Proceedings are being taken in private. Press statements will be issued from time to time.