French Air Plans

For The Hebrides

rHE New Hebrides, which since June, 1955, has had no air ervice at all, may in the foreseeable iiture have several air connections rith the outside world.

Noumea’s new and thriving air onpany, TRANSPAC, commenced a irtnightly air service to Vila and anto in the New Hebrides in No ;mber. The company is seeking overnment mail subsidies, but icanwhile is carrying mail at eight rates.

This development, undoubtedly armly welcomed by New Hebrides isidents, was announced by RANSPAC’s Chairman of Direc ts, Mr. H. G. Martinet, who was ; Sydney in November seeking rcraft to assist the company’s esent single, hard-working De avilland Rapide.

Mr. Martinet said that the mpany’s operating schedules are ill in the adjustment stage. At esent the New Hebrides flight

leaves Noumea on Wednesdays and returns on Thursdays. TRANSPAC has doubled its capital to four million francs, and will purchase immediately one or two Rapides or Herons, if these can be located at the right price.

The Rapide carries six passengers on the Noumea-Vila via Lifu sector and eight from Vila on to Santo’

Normal flying times for this air craft are Noumea-Lifu, 1 hr 10 mins; Lifu-Vila, 2 hrs; Vila-Santo 1 hr. 40 mins. Due to the com paratively small pay-load, fares are somewhat higher than the former Qantas fares.

Mr. Martinet said that TRANSPAC has no complaints about the existing Bauer Field air strip at Vila and Bomber-IH strip at Luganville, Santo, as far as Rapide operations were concerned.

It has been suggested, also, that the new company, Transports Ariens Internationales, which is to take over the Saigon-Noumea sector of the Air France route at the end of the year, would, if international approval can be secured, base a DC4 aircraft at New Caledonia to maintain con nections with the New Hebrides as well as with Sydney and Auckland.

It is presumed, of course, that

TAI would be under the same dis advantages in regard to the Hebrides as are Qantas at present —that is, that airports at Vila and

Santo will have tb be brought up to standard required for Skymaster aircraft.

For some time negotiations have been taking place for a French airlink between Noumea and Auckland as an extension of the French route from Paris to Noumea.

It has been hinted also, that the French are interested in establishing an air service between Noumea and Tahiti.

Landing rights at Fiji, Cook Islands or Samoa would be necessary for this service, but should not present any great difficulty as TEAL (owned by NZ) is already flying in to Papeete.

Unless the French are prepared to revert to flying-boats, however, it is unlikely that such a service would be possible for some time.

There is no aerodrome near Papeete although some months ago, the local Council “approved” the con struction of one on a small island a few miles out of the the town and adjac e n t the mainland.

Money for the construction of such an airport would have to come from Metropolitan France, so local approval of the project apparently is just a formality.

In the meantime, reconstruction of the airfields for Vila and Santo remains at a standstill. A resident has suggested that the delay is due to protracted negotiations between the British and French portions of the Condominium.

It is said that the Americans

built the two airstrips in question on French land and years ago recompensed the French Govern ment in NH for the land involved.

Some months ago, the French Government paid the individuals who originally owned the land and now owns the land itself. It it suggested that the French Government now wants the British

Government to pay half the vai of the land—although obviou the French got it without pajn anything.

It sounds like a good story; in the Condominium anything; possible.

Prance is in deep trouble w its colonies in Africa, Middle EE and Asia and it would not

Surprising if this resulted in renewed interest being taken in the Pacific colonies. Because of this, Australia, traditional supplier of air and sea transport to the French Pacific groups, could be out manoeuvred.

A great deal of French capital is being poured into New Caledonia and New Caledonia is fantastically rich in minerals of every sort. Big Business in New Caledonia has always regarded the Hebrides as a part of NC and there are no signs that this interest s waning.

At present there is a trade slump n the Hebrides, due to the low jrice of copra. There have been lepressions there before —and it las usually been the British lettlers who suffer. Britain has lever done anything to assist her lationals there. France, in the last, has aided her settlers with abour, copra subsidies and by other neans.