The Pacific Air Age Now Becomes

A Reality

New British Commonwealth-American Agreement Smooths Out International Difficulties

AFTER months of haggling, the Pacific Air Service Agreement, which gives reciprocal landing rights to the countries concerned, was signed in Washington by representatives of Australia and the United States, on December 3.

Almost identical agreements have also been signed between representatives of the United States and New Zealand, and the United States and Britain.

Regular tranp-Pacific services have been maintained across the Pacific between New Zealand and San Francisco since Jfine, 1946, when Pan American Airways resumed the service which had been interrupted by war in 1942. An “interim” service from Sydney to San Francisco run by Australian National Airways Pty., Ltd., on behalf of British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines, was to have commenced about the same time; but, due to technical difficulties over landing rights, this service did not commence until last September. Since then, ANA has maintained a fortnightly schedule between Sydney and Vancouver, The position up to the signing of the Agreement was briefly that PAA could not pick up or set down passengers in Fiji or extend its service to Australia; and that ANA (operating on behalf of BCPA) could not pick up or set down passengers in Honolulu or San Francisco, These restrictions will now be removed from both companies.

Neither PAA or BCPA have announced new schedules; but it is expected that PAA will extend their service to Australia early in the New Year, and that by January both BCPA and PAA will be operating under the new agreement, These new schedules will be published in the “PIM” when they are available.

It is likely that Pan American Airways will, in the initial stages, run one trip per week, going alternately from Noumea to Auckland and from Noumea to Sydney.

Their route will be Sydney (or Auckland), Noumea, Nadi (Fiji), Canton Island, Honolulu, San Francisco.

All ground and service arrangements

in Australia have been made hut details of the air agreement and other formali ties have prevented the announcement of schedules, and fares from Sydney, at this writing, FpHE BCPA service will presumably be A continued with ANA as the opera ting company. When ANA was selected by the BCPA early this year, (he contract provided for three round-trips, Sydney to San Francisco fortnightly, with one trip fortnightly, San Francisco to Auckland.

Since the interim service has been operating, however, ANA officials have been of the opinion that their onc|e fortnightly service from Australia to Vancouver has been adequate to cope with those members of the travelling public who have £2I4A to spend on the one-way Government-fixed fare between Sydney and the American Continent, When the Australian Minister for Air (Mr. Drakeford) announced the signing of the agreement in Canberra, he said that it was anticipated that there would shortly be a more frequent service than the present once-a-fortnightly one; two trips a week were, in fact, envisaged, he said. To an Australian Cabinet Minister, £214 is, of course, of little moment; but it is unlikely that sufficient travellers to maintain a twice-weekly service will be forthcoming at that price.

Mr. Drakeford also stated that it was hoped to reach an agreement with the French Government, so that the British service could carry traffic to Noumea.

Apparently—until the Canadian air fine starts its proposed trans-Pacific ser vice—the British service will continue to g 0 on from San Francisco to Vancouver. mHERE has beeen no indication that fares will be reduced and it is there fore assumed that the countries con cerned in the Air Agreement have agreed that fares shall not be competitive. PAA it is believed, is more than willing to compete in fares; ANA announced al

most a year ago. that that company was willing to carry passengers between Sydney and San Francisco for £l5O (Aus tralian currency). On their first proving flights. ANA did, in fact, carry passengers for this fare.

The extraordinary attitude of (he three British Socialistic Governments in fixing such exorbitant fares has been referred to in previous issues of the “PIM.” The main purpose of Government monopoly of transportation is to keep fares down to a reasonable level. The exact oppo site has been the case with Government monopolised airways. However, when the large reserve of desperate interna tional travellers has been worked off either fares come down, or (he airways become the private preserve of galli vanting politicians and Government ser vants, to whom money means nothing.

REGIONAL air-services in the areas dominated by the various Govern ments have now become very im portant. An elaborate system is already running out of Auckland to the South Pacific Islands (see article on page 40 of this issue). These are at present main tained by the RNZAF, but will shortly be taken over by the New Zealand National Airways Corporation, on a civi lian basis.

A somewhat similar plan is apparently '“ontemplated by Qantas Empire Airways and. when this net-work is completed.

Australia will be linked by air to most of the contiguous territories of the South West Pacific.

It is believed that air links with Fiji (through Noumea), New Hebrides, British Solomon Islands and the phos phate islands of Ocean and Nauru are being planned. This is likely if these groups (see article on page 9 of this issue) are to come under Australian Ad ministration after UNO has dealt with trusteeship in relation to South-West Pacific territories.

These airways extensions would faci litated by the fact that Qantas is now 50 per cent. Australian Government owned. It was announced from Canberra on December 4 that the purchase by Australia of Qantas Shares from British Oversea Airways Corporation had been finalised. rpHE extension of the Qantas service JL from Lae, its present terminal point in New Guinea, to Rabaul, should come into operation this month. Decem ber 18 was a tentative date fixed for this extension but it is believed that tech nical details concerned in Australian Civil Aviations resumption of control of the Rabaul airfield may cause short de lay.

It is believed that Qantas will operate internal air-services in New Guinea; but a date for this has not yet been men tioned.

It would be easy to link the service to Rabaul with the service to the Solomon Islands.

The Tasman link in the Pacific’s in ternational air services is provided by Tasman Empire Airways, which is con trolled by Australian and New Zealand governments. This service now runs trips each way every day except Sunday.

It too is a monopoly, and indications are that it is intended to keep it so. The flying-boats are comfortable, but slow.

Skymaster aircraft of the type used by both PAA and ANA could do the journey in almost half the time now taken by the flying-boats.