PACIFIC AIR SERVICES

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 136, 10 June 1937, Page 8

PACIFIC AIR SERVICES

Apart from the solitary visit Of the Pan-American Airways flying-boat to Auckland in March, New Zealand has had no communication this year over seas by air. The American flight has hot been repeated, and there are no signs so far of the promised air service between San Francisco and Auckland. For the rnbment also the much-, mooted 11-ans-Tasmari service between" New Zealand arid Australia seems to be in abeyance. Some light on the Whole question of cbrhniefcial aviation in these regions of the Pacific appeared ih a cable message from London yesterday stating that "there is every hope that as a result of Imperial Coriference discussions an early start will be made in the Empire tians-Pacific air service." In the Pan-American service New Zealand Was to be the tei-minal point at this end, but ih the Empire service the Dominion is riot included, for; according to the cable, "it is understood that the route will tentatively be from Vancouver tb Honolulu (subject' to America's .approval), Christmas Island, Hull Island (in the Phoenix Grou"p)j Fiji, New Caledonia, Brisbane, and Sydney." This, no doiibt, would be a riiore direct route, but it will hardly suit NeW Zealand so well as the alternative. Instead New Zealand will be in comrriunication, with the "main line," as it were; by a trans-Tasmah branch, the opening of Which, '■ it is stated, will precede the inauguration bf the Pacific service. There is also a hint of possibilities ih the concluding sentence of tlie cable message, which states that "it is gathered that there is a likelihood of the Empire trans-Pacific weekly service operating Without the Pan-American service."