Tahiti-Noumea Air Fare :
p. 55 · Read in the full issue
A Comparison
Letter to the Editor 1 THINK it should be pointed out that one of the most useful air services in the South Pacific—that run by TRAPAS between New Caledonia and Tahiti—is of little use to non-French travellers because of the very high fares charged.
A friend who travelled not long ago be tween Papeete and Noumea says he had to pay no less than 160,000 Pacific francs for the seat—equal to £100 Australian.
The plane left Tahiti at 10 a.m., and spent the night at Rarotonga; left Raroconga at 6 a.m., and arrived at Apia at noon; left Apia at 2 p.m., and reached Nadi at 6 p.m., and spent the night there; left Nadi at 6 a.m., and arrived in Noumea about 11.30, It carried about a dozen passengers.
As most of the British Pacific air services now run shuttle services between Australia (or New Zealand) and the in dividual territories (the New Zealand National Airways service between Auck land, Fiji, Samoa and Cook Islands be ing the only exception) this Noumea-Fiji- Samoa-Cook Is.-Tahiti line —a kind of cross-service in the Pacific —is very handy; but the fares tend to scare off prospective travellers.
In view of the fact that TRAPAS uses three British territories in the flight be tween the two French Territories, TRAPAS should treat British travellers with greater consideration.
I am. etc..
Traveller.
Melbourne, 7/4/49.
EDITORIAL NOTE —The fare Noumea- Tahiti (2,300 miles) does seem high, in comparison with other air fares. The fare from Sydney to Auckland (1,200 miles) is over £3O; from Sydney to Nadi (1,700 miles) is £5O; from Sydney to Rabaul (about 2,000 miles, via Port Moresby and Lae) £5l. The fare from Sydney to Tahiti by the French MM liner, via Noumea and Vila, is £lOO.