COST OF TASMAN AIR TRAVEL

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27396, 8 July 1954, Page 12

COST OF TASMAN AIR TRAVEL

WELLINGTON MAYOR’S COMPLAINT

MINISTER DEFENDS CHANGE

(From Our Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, July 7.

Wellington, as the capital city, had a very strong claim for a direct air link with Australia, but until proper facilities could be provided Wellington would share the lot of many. other capital cities, said the Minister in charge of Civil Aviation (Mr T. L. Macdonald) in a statement replying to criticism by Mr R. L. Macalister, Mayor of Wellington, about the extra cost of travelling to Australia by way of Auckland or Harewood.

A final decision still had to be made on the use of Ohakea as an international air terminal, the Minister said, but he wished to dispel the hope that much time could be saved for Wellington passengers by the use of Ohakea. The Minister said that on the outward journey a National Airways Corporation plane left Paraparaumu at 8.10 a.m. to connect with a Tasman Empire Airways aircraft leaving Christchurch at 11 a z m. If the aircraft were to leave Ohakea, instead of Christchurch, at 11 a.m., the departure time from Wellington for. Ohakea wosid be about the same as for Christchurch. On the return journey the T.E.A.L. aircraft arrived at Christchurch at 7.40 a.m., and the passenger reached Wellington at 12.30 p.m. If the aircraft reached Ohakea at 7.40 a.m., passengers would reach Wellington perhaps half an hour earlier. There were additional costs, the Minister said. The return air fare from Wellington to Harewood was £8 Is, but costs could be reduced, at the expense of some travelling time, by going to the South Inland on the steamerexpress. T.E.A.L. now had a trans-Tas-man tourist fare of £6l 4s for the return flight to Sydney, and with the cost of Christchurch-Wellington travel added it was about the same as the return fare that had been charged on flying-boats from Evans Bay. “Additional expenses through domestic travel to and from overseas terminals must be incurred by the great majority of travellers in New Zealand, ana the same position exists all over the world,” said Mr Macdonald. Mr Macalister’s Reply The Minister gave little heed to the inconvenience caused by the roundabout route, and brushed aside the question of added expense, said Mr Macalister in reply. “Is it not true,” he added, “that administrators and operators have three times recommended the opening of Ohakea as an international airport? Why has not a decision on Ohakea yet been made? The public will not be satisfied unless some sort of decision is arrived at, and arrived at quickly.”