Panair Resume Nz Service This Month

And the Australian Government (Backed by IATA) Attempts to Raise ANA Fares

PAN AMERICAN AIRWAYS services from San Francisco to Auckland will resume on Mav 25. This service, then operated by flying-boats, was dis continued after the outbreak of the Pacific war.

Stops will now be made at Honolulu, Canton Island, Fiji, New Caledonia; and Skymaster planes will be used to re commence the service.

This announcement from New York on May 8, stated also that the service would be extended to Australia as soon as the recinrocal landing-rights agreement was finalised with the Australian Govern ment.

This probably means that the Panair service to Australia will start about the same time as Australian National Air ways, under charter to BCPA, begin their regular trans-Pacific service—that is, in June.

PAA have announced also that there will be a reduction of between 10 and 20 per cent, in pre-war passage rates and that the fare to Auckland from San Francisco will be about £184.

MEANTIME a Ripley situation has arisen m Australia Months ago, when ANA first offered the Com monwealth Government an interim or permanent trans-Pacific service thev stated that they were willing to run an unsubsidised service at a nassenaer rate of £A150 for a one-wav ANA are still willing to do this, but pressure is

being brought to bear on them to raise s^FrancLo. 0 ar ° Und £2 °° Sydney ‘° The only good reason a Government could have for meddling in transporta tion is to safeguard the interests of the general public by keeping fares reason ably low—in other words, to save the pub lie from the wolves of private enter nrise, monopolies and what-not. Strange indeed that the Australian Government, n se ‘ against “exloita °f al '’varieties, should be egging 'rise on to raise fares and by a lusty 25 P er cent - at that - ANA. when bringing out their Skv masters from America, carried some pas senders and charged them £150; thev were w iiii ne: to do so again on the final survey flight now proceeding at this writing; but on the eve of departure the Australian Department of Civil Aviation sent a letter to ANA suggesting that the trio warranted a fare of £2OO solution of the mysterv is that Aus tralia be i on gs to the International Air Transport Association, which is now meeting in. Canada. An agreement be tween USA and the Dominions on the operation of Pacific and Atlantic air services—particulars in relation to land jn g rights and freight and fares, is likely to emerge.

The public? Well, does it matter to them whether the new-born air-ring is run by Governments or private enter priSe? After all, the function of the public is not to have a mind in such matters, but merely to foot the bill! , „ ( The full story of trans-Pacific air services appears in the magazine section, this issue.)