Norfolk Island's

Nz Air

Service Delayed

17K)LLOWING the announcement £ by New Zealand National Air ways that it would cease the Auckland-Norfolk Island DC3 air link on September 4, news was cir culating in the island that Tasman Empire Airways would take over the service.

Qantas, already operating a fortnightly DC4 service from Sydney confirmed that it had received a request from TEAL to operate the Norfolk-Auckland sector, under charter, for the time being.

Qantas agreed to this, and as late as September 9 it was able to con firm at Sydney that, as far as Qantas was concerned, it was ready to go ahead as soon as TEAL gave the word, though there was evid ently some hold-up in New Zea land.

The hold-up was clarified in a statement by New Zealand’s Min ister of Civil Aviation, Mr. Shand, in mid-August. He said that two applications had been received to operate the service. One was from

Teal.

He did not say who the other operator was, but Norfolk Island people said it was Cook Strait Air ways of New Zealand.

Mr. Shand said that both appli cations were being considered by the Government and a decision would be made under the terms of the International Air Services Licensing Act of 1947.

From this it appeared that TEAL’s request to Qantas was either pre mature, or merely of an exploratory nature.

Presumably, however, one or other of these two companies will soon take over the service.

NAC, after eight years, made its last flight on September 4, and for the present there is no link with Auckland, except via Sydney.

If Mr. Ted Sanson has retired from the Papua-New Guinea Administra tion after 28 years’ service. He was DO at Manus, DO Magistrate at Rabaul and Port Moresby, Acting Director of the District Services De partment and, more recently, chair man of the Public Service Appeals Committee.