SPATC Recommends
pp. 35-36 · Read in the full issue
Tbird Runway for Nadi
DETAILED plans for the third runway at Nadi, Fiji, and de velopment of this international jrport generally, will be considered ly the meeting of the South Pacific iir Transport Council in May this r ear.
At the last meeting, the Council ecommended that Nadi should lave a third runway.
The new runway will be capable if taking aircraft of the Comet jet ype and is expected to cost about 1 million and take several years to luild.
The South Pacific Air Transport Council directs Empire aviation lolicy in the South Pacific. Aus ralia, New Zealand, the United kingdom. Canada and Fiji all share n the cost of maintaining Nadi air ort and New Zealand administers t under general direction of the Jouncil.
An engineer of the NZ Ministry f Works is already in Fiji. He will irepare a detailed plan and the stimated cost of building the third unway for the next meeting of the Council,
Comets For Cpal
There will be Comet jet airliners n the Pacific service long before Jadi’s third runway is built but Canadian Pacific Airlines Ltd., who xpect to introduce the jets to their south Pacific service late in 1952 ay that present runways at air iorts on the route are adequate.
Yiation authorities say that loading nil probably have to be restricted or some airports.
The Comets will be based on Syd ley. They will make two return rips weekly to Honolulu, one from lydney via Nadi (Fiji) and Can on Island, and the other from lydney via Auckland, Nadi and Janton.
From Honolulu to the Pacific oast of America passengers will hange to a DC6 aircraft. The Jomet Series I, which will be used n the initial stages of the jet ser- Ice, are not suitable for the 2,800 aile stage between Honolulu and Vancouver. When available. Comet Series II jets will take over this >art of the service.
Jets For Bcpa, Too
BRITISH Commonweath Pacific Airlines has ordered six Series II Comet jets from the de lavilland company for its trans *acific service.
The aircraft will cost over ;3 million but are not expected to le delivered before 1954-55. :pal is flying the tasman Commencing with its Sydney leparture on January 4, Canadian s acific Airlines now include Auck and in its trans-Pacific service.
The route is Sydney-Auckland- Nadi-Canton Island-Honolulu-San Francisco-Vancouver and return.
This is the logical route for all trans-Pacific airservices but has never been used because of New Zealand’s apparent reluctance to allow any other operator in the area reserved exclusively for Tasman Empire Airways.
CPAL was granted permission to fly the Tasman early last year, but has not taken advantage of it until now. The company will not carry passengers between Australia and New Zealand that remains the
monopoly of TEAL.
The two other trans-Pacific operators, Pan American and BCPA, have got over the Tasman difficulty by running feeder services from Nadi to Auckland; or by running a separate service from Auckland to North America. CPAL has not bothered about the New Zealand section of the trans-Pacific route until this month. Later this year this service will be flown with Comet jets.
The present service will leave Sydney and Vancouver on alternate Fridays.
Mrs. D. Sawyer, who bought a sheep property on Erromanga, NH, some months ago, after a business visit to Australia, returned to her Island property, on the December Morinda. Twelve - years - old daughter, Helen Mary, went along too, for the school holidays.
Mr. David Ragg and Mr. Gerry Adams, of Lautoka, Fiji, flew to Sydney on Christmas Day, saw the magnificent tennis of the Davis Cup matches, and returned to Fiji im mediately thereafter. It was quick and hard travel; but the two tennis enthusiasts had no complaints.