SOUTH PACIFIC AIR SERVICE

Evening Star, Issue 23372, 15 September 1939, Page 14

SOUTH PACIFIC AIR SERVICE

NO SUSPENSION ENLARGING BASE BUILDINGS [Peb United Press Association - .] AUCKLAND, September 14. In spite of the European war, there is no indication that the South Pacific air service launched by Pan-American Airways will be suspended. Advice has been received by the New Zealand representative of the company (Mr Harold Gatty) that at present there are no known reasons why the proposals should be interrupted. Mr Gatty said that on account of their extraordinary nature the first few flights between San Francisco and Auckland would not be governed by a schedule, but when the route had been thoroughly surveyed regular running would be commenced. No word bad yet been received as to when the Clipper would begin her second flight to New Zealand, but it was likely that it would be undertaken within the next few weeks. Plans are now being prepared for the enlargement of the Pan-American administration building at the air base in Mechanics’ Bay to about twice its existing size. The present block was erected to meet only the temporary needs of the company, and with the commencement of a regular service now in sight, the original plans for substantially increasing the space and for providing all the necessary terminal facilities are to be put into effect. It is considered certain that the California Clipper, again under the command of Captain Tilton, will make the second flight to New Zealand. Several surveys of the new route are essential preliminary to the introduction of a regular ocean air service, and it is not likely that passengercarrying operations will be begun for at least several months. These activities will probably be preceded by the carriage of mails and express freight. An important development in the proposals is an understanding that the future route across the Pacific is to include a call at Fiji. This is in line with the statement made in July by the Minister of Defence (Mr Jones), who said the company bad undertaken to make experimental flights to Fiji and to continue to use the group as a port of cal) should it be found practicable to do so from the technical ami operational points of view. Landing and other facilities have, however, yet to be established on one of the islands to enable calls to be made at Fiji, which lies midway between the company’s new bases at Canton Island and Noumea. It is understood that an alighting place has not yet been chosen.