Trans-Pacific Air Mail

Still at Mercy of Politicians and Bureaucrats

rE attempts to start the trans pacific air mail service are becom ing farcical.

Again and again, during the past two years, it has been announced confi dently that Pan American Airways ser vice from Auckland to San Francisco, and the British service between Sydney and Auckland, would be commenced within a short time. But always there have been postponements—and, appar ently, mostly for reasons connected with international politics.

We were assured, in recent weeks, that both services would be commenced in April. The flying people responsible for the operation of the Sydney-Auckland service did promise that their two huge flying-boats—both waiting and ready— would begin the service in April; and there is no reason, that sensible men can see, why they should not. Then it was announced that the Governments concerned —British. Australian and New Zealand—were still squabbling and that the service, therefore, would not start.

The latest statement is that the ser vice will be inaugurated with a flight from Auckland to Sydney, late in April, and that a number of politicians, who have been attending conferences in New Zealand, will accompany the boat.

Those who have been waiting, vainly, for two years, to see this service inau gurated, promise that they will not go into mourning if the politicians should fall out of the flying-boat half way over the Tasman Sea. rE flying-boat “Awarua”, which is to partner the “Aotearoa” in carry ing on the service between Auck land and Sydney, arrived in Sydney from England on March 28. It weighs 22 tons, its average cruising speed is ?Jaaa 2( S m P h > it; ca n carry a load of 46,000 lbs., it can fly 1,800 miles non stop against head winds, and it has four Bristol Perseus XII engines.

The company which will operate with the Auckland-Sydney service will be called Tasman Empire Airways Ltd., and will consist of representatives of Imperial Airways Ltd., Qantas Empire Airways Ltd., and Union Airways Ltd. — that is, the three principal air com panies of Britain, Australia and New Zealand respectively. The shipping inter ests of the respective countries are strongly represented in the airways interests. The single fare for a flight between Sydney and Auckland has been fixed at £3O.

SO far as Pan American Airways is concerned, the position is as ob scure as ever. Here, again, there are plain indications that the executives of the flying services are trying their utmost to get the service started, but that they are held up in all directions by the plagues of politicians and bureau crats who now are the curse of modern life. There is some slight hope that this service between San Francisco and Auckland will get going in May.

Why A “Floating Hotel” For

Noumea?

npHE surprising announcement was 1 made in New York on March 31 that Pan American Airways has purchased the luxury power yacht “Lyn donia” (819 tons) to serve as a floating hotel at Noumea (New Caledonia) for passengers using the flying boat service between San Francisco and Auckland.

Noumea is a town of considerable size, and has one good hotel, and several in the second grade. Trans-Pacific passen gers certainly will not wish to remain over-night on He de Nou (opposite Nou mea, where the flying-boat base has been prepared), where, it is presumed, the “floating hotel” will be placed. It is more likely that, in the few hours at their command, they will wish to ex plore the old French town of Noumea, which is one of the most beautiful and interesting places in the South Pacific.