Taxpayers £40,000

TEAL May Save NZ Taxpayers £40,000

IT is estimated that the New Zealand taxpayer will benefit to the extent of £40,000 per annum when TEAL takes over the service to Western Samoa from NAC, and Includes it in the Auckland-Fiji fahiti service, now running.

In 1950-51 the loss on the NAC Dakota service was £41,680 —or E 82,000, if the Sunderland service, A.uckland-Suva, discarded in that (rear, is taken into account.

Due to the heavy reserve load of gasoline which the twin-engined Dakotas have to carry on the long Kean hops, their payload is small.

When the TEAL Solents take over he Samoa sector a substantial >rofit is expected on the Coral Route service which should then cost the axpayer nothing. No provision, it seems, is being nade for air contact with Rarotonga, ifter the Satapuala seadrome is >pened for the service to Samoa, the Coral Route Solents call only it Aitutaki, in the Cook Islands.

New Seadrome in Samoa

I ATER in August, TEAL reported that they now expect to make

a ”P rov ‘ n g flight” to Satapuala seadrome, Upolu, Western Samoa, late in Se P tember and that, subject to this flight being satisfactory, the inaugural flight through to Tahiti including Samoa should follow in mid-October.

Most of the work at Satapuala has been completed. Coral heads have been removed to provide a runway

of 21 miles, with a minimum depth of 8 feet.

Satapuala is adjacent to Faleolo, near the western end of the island, and 20 miles from Apia. „ „ , . . TT .. his half-yearly to* Santo,’ New Hebrides, in his cutter in August, He then went on to Sydney by air.