Fiji Seaplanes

Promoters of New Service Reported to be Disappointed.

LATE news from Fiji indicates an un satisfactory position so far as Fiji Airways, Ltd., is concerned.

This Company commenced operations last year with three seaplanes, under the management of Mr. A. S. Cross, and with a small subsidy from the Government of Fiji. It provided a very valuable coastal and inter-island service for the carriage of mails and passengers.

It appears, however, that the service has not received the whole-hearted support of the Fiji Administration, or of certain interests in Fiji. There was an incident recently when the Fiji Government would not issue to the Company a certificate of airworthiness regarding its machines and the ser vice was held up on a technicality for a fortnight, while an appeal was made to Australia. There have been other things which would tend to discourage the promoters.

The driving force behind Fiji Air ways, Ltd. is, of course, Guinea Air ways, Ltd., and the latter successful Company, if it is dissatisfied with the support its enterprise is receiving in Fiji, might quite naturally withdraw altogether, and cut whatever expendi ture has been incurred.

Such a development would be a calamity from the point of view of aviation in the Pacific. We have urged repeatedly that the seaplane solves, in the case of the Pacific Islands territories, the problem of communication which has retarded their development for several decades.

Everyone had hoped that the estab lishment of Fiji Airways, Ltd. would mark the opening of a new era in Pacific progress. If, owing to official languor and indifference, this service is discontinued and the seaplanes with drawn, the Government of Fiji will have to face a very serious reproach.

It is not likely that, after such a de velopment, any other substantially organised aviation company would enter into business in the Pacific Islands during the present generation.

We hear that there has been adverse comment in Fiji on the fact that the Government frequently uses its vessel “Pioneer” (400 tons, with a crew of 25) for the transport of officials about the group, when a seaplane could do the job at a tenth of the cost, in a tenth of the time.