AIR TRANSPORT PROPOSALS

Chronicle (Levin), 7 March 1946, Page 6

AIR TRANSPORT PROPOSALS

-Press Association

SOUTH PACIFIC AREA AVIATION CONFERENCE ENDS

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WELLINGTON, March G. The Civil Aviation Conference, which has been iu session in Wellington since February 28, concluded its deliberatious at one o'clock this inorning. The Governments of the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Eiji and. the Western Pacille High Commission were representedt states a report issued ' from Parliament .Buildings today. An observer attended on behalf After giving the details of the repreof the Government of Cauada. sentatives attending the conference, the report states: "The conference decided to recommend to their Governments the establishment of a South Paciiic Air Transport Council with a permaneut secretariat, which will be loeated in Australia, to provide machinery for consultation, and to advise the Commonwealth Governments concerned in all matters connected with the coordination and development of civil air transport services in tlie l acilic. Membership of the council will be those Governments represented at the conference. Canada has also been invited to accept membership. The conference recommended to the Governments concerned the early establishment of a tripartite organisation comprising the interests of Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom to be known as the British Commonwealth Paciiic Airlines to operate a service between Eydney and Vancouver, and Auckland and Vancouver. The eapital will be subscribed by the Governments of the three countries. Empire Partnership. The service will operate in a parallel partnership with an airline designated by the Government of Canada in accordance vvitn • the agreements reached at the Commonwealth Conference at Montreal in 1944, and at the conference of the Commonwealth Air Transport Council held in Londou in 1945. The proposed corporation wiil be regis-. tered in Australia and plans are to be completed for the introduetion of the. service at the earliest possible date. The conference also reviewed the ojieration of the existing air services in the Bouth Paciiic area and made reeonimendations for the expansion of the regional services, including jirovision tor ser\'ices linking Australia, New zealand and the United Kingdom territories in the Montli

Tlie necessary ground facilities and uieteoroiogical services in both the truuk and regional services in the Paciiic are to be provided on a cooperative basis. The Prime Miuister (Kt. Hon. P. Erasor) returnecl to New Zealand from the United Nations Conference in London to visit the Aviation Conference in its Jiiial stages. Commonwealth Link. In eongratuiatmg the conference 011 its work Mr. Eraser said that it provided inipressive evidence of the unity of the British peoples. He praised the goodwill and determination which marked the conference proceedings, and looked forward to the early estabusiuneiit of ihe Paciiii; ^ _.^f)vilce .aud. the material link Vvliich it will constitute between inembers of the JBrltish L'oiiinionwealth.

J iie chairman of the conference, the Miuister of Finance (llon. Walter Na.shj, said tliat the conference was an importaut niilestoue in the development of civil aviation among the British Commonwealth countries in the Paciiic. It had laid plans which will adinit of au early development of the British air services across the Paciiic and throughout the South Paciiic area. Not qnly did it cover the ojierations of the air transport services, but also the action to be taken to iirovide and maintain the ground organisation to make ilyiug possible. In many ways also the conference was an epoch-making event. . British countries iu this jiart of the world with the United Kingdom are linked in a partnership to operate scr- \ iccs across the Paciiic. These services will complete a chaln in the British Commonwealth air communicatious. Cooperatiou iu Commonwealth countries in this is au oxainplo to the other countries of the world of the values that follow for humanity through coox>erative enterprise.