NEW AIR MAIL

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 411, 21 December 1932, Page 5

NEW AIR MAIL

a Correspondent.)

australian plans OF VITAL fMPORTANCE IN LINKING UP WITH DOMINION A REGULAR SERVICE

(From

Sydney, December 18. The decision of the Federal Government to establish an aerial service from Darwin to Singapore, to link up with the service to and from London, now being operated by, Imperial Airways, is of vital interest to "New Zealand, and in estimating the possible revenue the volume of mail matter likely to come the Dominion has been taken into the reckoning. Mails will be delivered in London seventeen days after leaving Sydney, which means that Wellington and Auckland will be brought within twenty days of London, providing a schedule is adopted to suit the intercolonial mail boats across the Tasman. It is possible that, as a result of negotiations with Imperial Air- / ways, a faster service will be providJ ed, for it is thought that at Ieast three j more days can be saved — two by Imperial Airways and one by the Australian company that will provide the I service to Singapore. The scheme I which has met with the approval of I the Federal Government will provide for a complete readjustment of all aerial mail services in Australia so as to eliminate every kind of waste and overlapping. The new proposals to link Australia with England will involve the flying of 871,000 miles a year. Estimate of Cost It is belleved that the new scheme including overseas and internal services, can be obtained for the cost to the Federal Government in subsidies not greater than the cost in subsidies of the existing services. The payment last year was £93,000, and the revenue from the services, all within Australia, was £12,000 01* an average ■of 2s ld a mile. It is believed that the net cost of the new services would be only ls lld a mile. In estimating the amount of mail matter likely to be carried between Darwin and Singapore, the Government, following the lead of the special committee, which considered the matter, has taken a more conservative view than the British Postal officials. It is believed that in the first twelve months the average weekly mail should be 1911b outward, and 2011b inward, increasing •within six years to 4151b outward and 4351b inward. The British Post Ofifice thinks that the average amount of mail matter each week should reach 3001b within a few months, and soon amount to 6001b or more. • An inclusive air mail fee of ls 6d for each half ounce to be carried to England has been recommended, and it is safe to say that that is the rate that will ultimately be adopted. Tenders will be invited from Australian companies and are likely to come from Australian National Airways, Quantas (a wealthy Queensland company), and West Australian Airways, which now operates the EastWest air mail, and a service to North West Australia. West Australian Airways has a fleet of modern craft, and A.N.A. has four Avro Ten (Fokker) tri-motor planes suitable for overwater work. Possibly other interests will tender for the new services, and it is possible that the three companies mentioned will combine with the idea of providing the service to Singapore as well as the inland services that will be run in conjunction with it. To date that spirit of co-operation has not been shown, but there are hopes that a better understanding will be reached in the interests of all parties concerned, as well as of the Commonwealth.

Service a Year Qff A high official of the Air Force, 01* of the Civil Aviation department will go to Singapore shortly to join a British airman who is about to leave England on a flight to Australia. On the flight from Singapore the official will make a detailed report on landing grounds and genei'al conditions. Latitude will be allowed the tenderers in submitting their tenders. There will be no stipulation as to the type of machine to be used, or where they are to be made. Nor would the tenders specify the provision of passenger accommodation. The plan as endorsed by the Govei'nment will give employment to many mechanics, pilots and ground men. It will not only provide a permanent and regular link with the Mother Country, but will greatly speed up and improve existing services within Australia. It is definite that the contractoi's must provide their own machines. The distance to be covered by the Austx*alian planes from Darwin to Singapore will be 2315 miles, and the over-water jump to the first stop (Dilli, in Portuguese Timor) will be considerably shorter than the usual route f ollowed by airmen, along the 512 xxiile track to Koepang. No difficulty is expected in obtaining permission for the service to operate over foreign country. Owing to the time that will be required for the preparation of texxders, and other preliminary work, it will probably be at least twelve months before the new service is inaugurated.