TASMAN AIR SERVICE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 105, 16 February 1950, Page 5

TASMAN AIR SERVICE

MELBOURNE - SOUTH ISLAND ARRANGEMENTS LIKELY SOON (N.Z.P. A.—Copyright) CANBERRA, Feb. 15. According to the Australian Broadcasting Commission, the Federal Minister of Civil Aviation . (Mr. T. W. White) indicated in Canberra this afternoon that an agreement for a new trans-Tas- ' man air service would be concluded soon. The service should run from Melbourne to the South Island. The agreement is regarded ,as a logical conclusion to the declaration of Essendon airport, Melbourne, as' an international airport. - The Federal Cabinet earlier. to-day approved Essendon’s designation as an international airport, in addition, to Darwin and Sydney. Mr White said the Go-yernment was considering a new South African service as a result of a recent test flight. International passengers Avbuld be permitted to fly overland in non-Aus-tralian aircraft in competition with Australian lines, provided reciprocal agreements were reached with the countries in which the passengers would embark.

COMMENT BY MR. HOLLAND

“CONSIDERABLE STEP ALONG ROAD”

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, Feb. 15. “The news from Canberra that the Australian Government has given approval for the designation of Melbourne as an international airport is a considerable step along the road towards the establishment of a South Island-Australia air service,” said the Prime Minister (Mr Holland) this evening. “One of the several difficulties in connection Ayith this service was that hitherto Melbourne was not so classified.’”

“The announcement by Mr T. W. White (the Australian Minister of Civil Aviation) that the Australian Government was considering negotiations for a service shows how quickly things have travelled since we. announced our decision to work 'towards the establishment of one,” Mr. Holland said. -

AIR TERMINAL AT WELLINGTON VIEWS OF SIR MILES THOMAS (P.A.) AUCKLAND, Feb. 15. 'Sir Miles Thomas, chairman of the British Overseas Airways Corporation, favours the immediate start of a Syd-ney-Wellington service by Tasman Empire Airways, Ltd. “It is most important to transport passengers from an air terminal to the business areas as quickly as possible. Wellington’s relationship to its harbour is ideal,” said Sir Miles Thomas, who arrived to-day from Sydney. The British Overseas Airways Corporation had taken flying-boats off its eastern flights, but this did not mean that flying-boats as a type were discredited. In those areas .the flyingboat bases were a long way from the cities they served. But the 1500-mile flight between Auckland and Sydney with bases at the cities- back doors was ideal for flying-boats.

Jet-powered Comets would be cutting the London-Sydney flying time to 36 hours by 1952, he said, but he doubted if they would be suitable for the Tasman sector because they needed long runways for the take-off. The Saunders Roe Princess, which was being built to carry 110 passengers at 300 miles an hour in pressurised cabins, could well be considered. No definite plans could be made until the aircraft was test flown in 1952. Sir Miles Thomas will confer with the Government and airline officials in Wellington. He will then fly to Hong Kong to inspect the British Overseas Airways Corporation’s operations in South-ast Asia. He is accompanied by Lady Thomas, the general manager of the corporation (Mr John Brancker), and the corporation’s representative in the South Pacific (Mr Phillip Hood).