PACIFIC AIR SERVICES

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24910, 25 June 1946, Page 5

PACIFIC AIR SERVICES

BRITISH COMPANY FORMED

SIR LEONARD ISITT A DIRECTOR

(Rec. 9.45 p.m.) SYDNEY, June 24. British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines, Ltd., which will establish and operate air services between Australia, New Zealand, North America and intermediate points, has applied for registration under the New South Wales Companies Act. The three Governments controlling the new company have nominated as the first directors the chairmen of the New Zealand National Airways Corporation, Sir Leonard Isitt, the Australian National Airlines Commission, Mr A. W. Coles, and British Overseas Airways Corporation, Lord Knollys. The head office of the company is in Sydney, and the secretary is Mr J. H. Kemnitz. Trunk services will be operated by the new company from Sydney and Auckland to North America in parallel partnership with a designate airline of Canada. Tasman Empire Airways will continue to operate the transTasman service. The trans-Pacific scheme will be put into operation immediately a bilateral agreement for reciprocal rights of commercial entry and departure of international traffic between the United States, Australia, and New Zealand has been signed. The initial service is expected to embrace three trips fortnightly each way between Australia and North America, and one each way between New Zealand and North America. The route will be from Sydney and Auckland respectively via Fiji, Canton Island, and Honolulu to San Francisco with a possible later extension to Vancouver or another terminal on the western seaboard of Canada.

Pending negotiations for fast and comfortable new aircraft, the company will enter info a contract with Australian National Airways Proprietary, Ltd., for the interim operation of this service.