Governments Still Fret Over Reciprocal Privileges

The Teething-Troubles Of Transpacific

Air Transportation

rANS-PACIFIC air transportation is a sickly infant at the present time.

The American and Australian gov ernments, which have been negotiating for months on reciprocal landing rights, have so far reached no agreement. Although it was announced on August 2 that Pan- American Airways has been given permis sion by the Civil Aeronautics Board to ex tend their South Pacific route from Noumea to Sydney, this refers only to American permission.

Australian National Airways were ready to start an interim service on behalf of British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines Ltd. as long ago as June 1, but a hitch in reciprocal landing rights with America prevented the service from commencing.

The announcement from Washington on August 2, in respect of PAA, may smooth the way for ANA to commence operations also.

The plans of PAA, too, have been upset.

Although they re-started their service be tween San Francisco and Auckland (sus pended in 1942 due to war in the Pacific) in early June, the service was again sus pended in July when all Constellation air craft were grounded owing to a series of serious accidents to these planes in the United States. Although DC4s are used on Panair’s Pacific route, these were with drawn and diverted to other routes where Constellations were customarily used.

The ban on Constellations is still in operation; it will not be lifted until thor ough tests of their airworthiness have been made. „ THE long deliberations over landing pri vileges in the Pacific between Ameri can and British interests has had the effect, too, of making Fiji a blind spot on the PAA service from Auckland to San Francisco.

Until some agreement is reached PAA cannot carry passengers or mail between Auckland and the Fiji staging point, al though their Clippers, of course, may land there and passengers remain overnight. A resident of Fiji wishing to travel from Suva to San Francisco, for example, must go to Auckland or Noumea, and book a through passage. Similarly, if he wishes to fly to Fiji from Honolulu or ’Frisco he cannot get off the Clipper at Fiji, but must go on to Tontouta, in New Caledonia, or to Auckland, and then journey back.

This sort of thing is no doubt a highly diverting piece of international bargaining.

However, it is calculated to drive the travelling public insane, and it cannot be particularly entertaining for the air trans portation companies, either.

Negotiations between the British Domin ions and America have been going on for many years on the subject of landing rights; a permanent agreement of some kind is long overdue.

The Nadi Argument

rE relative merits of Nadi and Nausori are still being discussed in Fiji. When the Legislative Council met in July, Mr. H. H. Ragg presented a petition signed by 600 residents of the N-W Division of Viti Levu, putting forward the claims of Nadi at the site of the international air port.

In his opening address to the Council, however, the Governor said that the mat ter was one for technical experts and for those who were going to pay the cost— that is, the United Kingdom, with assist ance from the Dominions who were in

terested in this Pacific air route. He hoped that a decision would shortly be made.

NZ and Australian Services AIR services between Auckland, New Zealand, and Fiji, Western Samoa, Tonga and Cook Islands, run by the RNZAF, are in operation. Fares are reasonable, but facilities, both flying and booking, are not up to the standard of other international airways.

Little information is available regarding passage booking, inquiries of “PlM’s” New Zealand agents has brought forth only the information that intending travellers should contact the RNZAF Transport Offi cer at Whenuapai Aerodrome, Auckland, or local RNZAF officials at Island airports.

Qantas Empire Airways run thrice weekly services to New Guinea and Papua with Douglas land planes; and a flying boat service to Suva, Fiji, via Noumea (New Caledona) about once every two weeks.