UNION AIRWAYS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 36, 29 December 1944, Page 6

UNION AIRWAYS

REQUEST TO REINSTATE A request to the Minister of.' Transport immediately to issue a licence, to Union Airways Ltd. for the reini statement of the air service between Gisborne and Pal mors ton North and thus assist in the handling of holiday traffic was made, by Mr W. Sullivan Bay of Plenty) } in an urgent question in the House of Representatives. Was. the delay in granting a licencc caused by the fact that the Government contemplated making a State monopoly of all air services in the Dominion? he asked. The Gis'borneNapier air service was the, first air service started in the. Dominion and was suspended on the outbreak of war. Union Airways had been read}' to resume the service for some weeks and had a suitable, plane for the service with landing grounds and ground staff available. The Minister replied that included in the various aircraft service licences held by the Union Airways were those, for Palmerston NorthGisborne and Auckland-Tauranga-Opotiki-Gisborne. Both these licences were suspended and there had been no application lodged for lifting the suspension. It was under-; stood that the firm at the moment had not an aircraft available for the service, but that, aerodrome facilities were suitable and that ground staff could probablv be made availr able.