DELAY IN STARTING SERVICES

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24914, 29 June 1946, Page 8

DELAY IN STARTING SERVICES

AUSTRALIAN MINISTER’S STATEMENT (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 11 p.m.) SYDNEY, June 28. Further delay in starting transpacific air services from and to Australia appears inevitable, according to the Minister of Air (Mr A. S. Drake»rd), who returned by Lancastrian aeroplane from Britain to-day after attending conferences in the United States. He said he could not fix any definite date for the operation either of the interim or permanent trans-Paciflc service. There was nothing definite. Mr Drakeford said the question of setting up multilateral agreements for the full operation of all services was one of the major subjects discussed at the Montreal civil aviation conference. It was not carried and it became necessary to have further discussions with the countries with which Australia desired to operate the service. When he left Washington the discussions Were still proceeding. Whether or not American aircraft would carry passengers across the Tasman or whether that section would be reserved for Empire aircraft was still controversial. Agreement on reciprocal landing rights had not been reached.