Flyingboat Tasman Service Curtailed

Chronicle (Levin), 22 June 1948, Page 7

Flyingboat Tasman Service Curtailed

AUCKLAND, June 21. A reduction from six to four return (liglits weeklv between Auckland and Syduev by iis Heet of flying boats, wa-> aiiiiouuced today bv Tasman llmpiro Airways. Tlie i*hange becomes ell'ective iiiiniediately but will operate Only until July 3. .Meanwhile Australian Nation al Airways will coutinue as arraugei earlier, to make six return flights eaek , w eek with its Skvinasters, until the end oi' tliis 111011th. Bomt wasv given t> ihe coinpany's decision today wheu ouly one passenger was available to llv from Sydney to Auckland by the llying boat leaving Sydney at (3.4.") o'clock. The Koyal Mail airlinei Tiisinan, with only one of her 30 seats oecupied, tuined back about three bours iiiler, following tlie discoverv of an ou leak in one engine. The failure o 1 tlie iiircraft to reach Auckland will mean lliat there will be 110 flyingboat service to Sydney tomorrow although tlie Tasman is expeeted to arrivo tomorrow aft ernoon. rl lie preseinee of oi^lv oue passcnger m tlie aircraft wben tlie company ha«l a list of some 3000 people wanting to eross tbe Tasman, was oxplaiued by the assisiant geiieral-inanager, Mr. J. VV. \'e;ile. ! f c said it was because verv I'ew passongers wanted to travel westward before tlie end of June.