Tasman Airways Temporarily Suspended

Chronicle (Levin), 23 February 1948, Page 8

Tasman Airways Temporarily Suspended

• , AUCKLAND, Feb. 22. i "Because of a teehnicaJ pro'blem in- i volving 'all the ' eotopany's aircraft. Tasman Empire Airways Ltd. regrets that it is deemed heeessary in tlie in terests of pnblie shf6tyy,to grpund ab aircraft While, certain engine modifica- ; tions are elfected, stated the general- j inaaager of the/ eompany, Mf. G-. N.| fidbei' ts> .tonight. ' ' This deci-sion' has ; been made by the company in accord-! ance with Its establ'islied and' proven! poiicy . of suboitliiVating * all othev factors to safety and- it has been approved by the Director of Civil Aviatioh. ' ' The grounding has already taken effect. Sundaj''s arrival and departure at Auckland were the las| passenger* carrying' l'ligh'tS nutil further iiotice. Aifcraft at present in Sydney wili 'retarn to Auckland tomotrow'ear-ryi&g bliiy inail) f reight and technicai perftoritiel.

"The company regrets the inevitab'le inconvenienCe. eaused to the traveiiutg public who hiay fest assured" that the service -will be restored at the earliest possible date. In the- meantime every ehdeavour is being made to eharter . aircraft to mainta'i n the service wnite the company 's aircraft are being modiuqdjC added Mr. koberts..'/Because forward reservations are alrea'dy heavy, booki-ng agents , have been inStrnc't'ed to clese their 'boolcing ilsts •tetnp'orttfiiy. Passengers already boolced will be notihed as soon as possible ti their l'ev'ised dates of'travel, jithet on char'tef-ed aircraft or on the iottipafty 's aircraft When the latter are retnrned "to norntal service. The company is seeking autherity to give preference to thraugh passengers, retum ticket holders and tkose travelling for urgent business reasons. This pYoced'ur'e is intended to minimise the' ineonvenience 'to the travelling public. "At the present tiihe," Mr. Robert's eoncluded, ." tlie availability of aircraft for eharter is unknown but it is iioped fhey \yill be available throug'hout the period while the company 's aircraft are out qf service. It is hoped this period will not exceed three weeks."

Tho f, our Tasman class aircraft which maint-ain the Tasman service from Auckland to Syduey, will be taken in pairs to 'the nidint'enanee base at Hobsonville. It is undM'stood they will be hauled out in pairs for modilicationS to the Eratt and Whit&ey twin row Wasp engines. The work will be undertaken by the techni'cal Stalf normally empiojAd at Hobsonville, augmented by some of the comp'any's engineers from Mech'anies Bay assisted by the Gai'direr, Pratt and Whitney resident engineer at Melbourne wli'o Will Hy to Auckland-. It is uivderstoad the Ai'gines ' defect is the overheating of the cylinder heads, a trouble that has been accentua'ted by the abnormally hot weather.