EMPIRE AIR SERVICE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 July 1942, Page 4

EMPIRE AIR SERVICE

BETWEEN SOUTH PACIFIC & BRITAIN COULD BE ESTABLISHED EASILY. CAPTAIN TAYLOR’S ADVOCACY. (Special Australian Correspondent.) (Received This Day, 12.50 p.m.) SYDNEY, This Day. Regular air communication between New Zealand and Australia and Britain could be established by the Indian Ocean route. A fivedays’ air mail service could be operated between Sydney and London with existing types of aircraft. These opinions have been expressed by Captain P. G. Taylor, in commenting on the appeal of Mr H. Fysh (managing-director of Qantas Airways) for the maintenance of British overseas air services. “One of the purposes of the exploratory flight across the Indian Ocean undertaken for the Commonwealth in 1939 was the selection and survey of air bases which could be used to maintain air communications in the circumstances that have now arisen,” said Captain Taylor. “Suitable sites were found at all the islands visited and the Indian Ocean service to London could be established immediately. Quick air communication with Britain is important enough to warrant the provision of the equipment necessary to hold these bases.” Captain Taylor said five bombers taken out of the assembly line would be sufficient to run. the service. The resultant gain from, direct air contact between Britain and the -South Pacific Dominion would more than warrant the loss of such an infinitesimally small proportion of the Allied aircraft output.