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The Conference recommended that there should be established a South Pacific Air Transport Council with headquarters in Melbourne, and representative of United Kingdom, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, and Fiji Governments and the Western Pacific High Commission. The main functions of this body will be to keep under review and promote the progress of air transport in the Pacific area, to serve as a medium for the exchange of information between member States on air transport matters, and to advise the Governments concerned on policy matters. There were established under the segis of the Council a Committee for Air Navigation and Ground Organization and, a Committee of Meteorologists to advise on technical matters within their purview. The present rate of capital contributions, towards the cost of operation of Tasman Empire Airways was also examined. It was decided that a modification of the present arrangement should be effected and that in future capital requirements should be allocated on the basis of New Zealand, 50 per cent.; Australia, 30 per cent.; and United Kingdom, 20 per cent. A third recommendation of importance was that there should be established and registered forthwith a tripartite organization representative of the United Kingdom, Australian, and New Zealand Governments, charged with the responsibility of operating a Pacific trunk service between Australia and Canad,a, The organization, which will be known as British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines, will have its headquarters in Australia and will operate in parallel with similar services to be established by trans-Canada. Airlines, Decisions were arrived at as to the type of aircraft to be used and apportionment of capital requirements between the three Governments concerned. While it is possible that B.C.P.A. may shortly be in a position to inaugurate regular schedules under a charter arrangement, it is not expected that the organization will be able to commence operation with its own equipment and personnel before June, 1947. It was also decided that Australia and New Zealand should each provide local and regional services within their defined areas of responsibility in the South Pacific and that the two Governments should accept responsibility within such areas for the provision of ground facilities and meteorological services for both regional and trunk air services. Decisions were also reached on questions relating to bi-lateral agreements in which Australia and New Zealand might be concerned; and the employment of technical personnel of these two countries for the investigation of accidents to civil aircraft in British territories in the South Pacific. The Conference was very successful, and, apart from the importance of the conclusions arrived at, it afforded an excellent opportunity for the technical personnel on the various delegations to confer on matters of mutual interest in their respective departments. The presence of 8.0.A.C. officials with the United Kingdom delegation also assisted considerably in the preparation of technical data of an operational nature. SECTION lI.—AIR TRANSPORT OPERATIONS The organization of the internal Air Transport Services has remained relatively unchanged, and the facilities provided by Union Airways and Air Travel (N.Z.), Ltd., have continued except for the augmenting of the former company's services by the addition of a further Lockheed Lodestar aircraft, which is employed on the Auckland-Invercargill route. In order to cope with the popular demand for air travel the R.N.Z.A.F. transport command has
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