LAST AIR TRIP

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20077, 25 October 1939, Page 6

LAST AIR TRIP

GISBORNE SERVICE FULL PLANE DEPARTS WAR-TIME MEASURE DISPOSAL OF STAFF The last scheduled air service plane from Gisborne until the release of the machines by the Government left Darton Field for Palmerston North thl; morning. This is the result of the Government commandeer of all service planes, with the exception of the four Lockheeds in the possession of Union Airways. A skeleton service was promised by the Government, but Gisborne is not being included in this scheme.

The last trip on the Auckland-Gis-borne service was on October 12, and with the departure of the plane for Palmerston North this morning the trips to Palmerston North will be discontinued. The last inward plane on the service arrived at Gisborne as usual yesterday afternoon, and, staying over-night, took off at 7.15 a.m. today with a full complement of passengers under the control of Commander M. C. MacLeod, with Mr. J. Winefiekl as second officer.

Ground Organisation

It. is stated that the ground staff at Darton Field will be given the opportunity of joining the company’s organisation in Palmerston North, and it is understood that they will leave at the end of the month.

Union Airways’ services between Palmerston North and Gisborne and Auckland and Gisborne have been most successful, and have been carried out in almost all weather conditions without a mishap of any kind. Union Airways took over the southern service from East Coast Airways on July 1, 1938, and the Auckland service was inaugurated on March 20. A daily service is being maintained between Auckland and Dunedin by the four Lockheed planes, but apart from that ail regular passenger services by air are being discontinued until the machines are released by the Defence Department.

Passenger Figures

During the time Union Airways was operating on the Gisborne-Palmerston North run, 9172 passengers were carried in and out of Gisborne, these figures disregarding the number between Napier and Palmerston North, while for the G| months of operation on the Auckland service 1264 passengers were carried in and out of Gisborne, these figures excluding those carried between Opotiki and Auckland.

The figures showing the number of passengers carried to and from Gisborne are given month by month in the following tables:—

Gisborne-I-almerston North 1938 In Out July 251 268 August 267 227 September 247 296 October 288 341 November 258 325 December 394 394 1939 January 395 479 February 273 351 March 289 351 April 335 402 May 273 278 June 196 304 July 192 235 August 219 227 September 198 266 October 154 199 Totals 4229 4943 Gisborne-Auckland In Out March 66 41 April .95 116 May .. .. ; 96 111 June 81 80 July 60 88 August 77 99 September 84 108 October 35 21 Totals 594 670