[?]Posed Air Service To Link Islands

And Business Is

[?]Ng-Boat Business”

A group of Australian aviation specialists, with substantial financial :king, has the knowledge, the equipment, and the urge to operate a lity freight-passenger service between main South Pacific island groups.

[ETHER they go ahead depends pon the result of a survey they ill make shortly at Islands es. ise experts point to the mdous growth of air-freighting ghout the world in recent years hey believe that once adminis :s, merchants, missionaries, ers, miners and others have i the fruits of bulk “delivery y,” they will be quick to assess alue in relation to the time ming, unpredictable and in iate movement of inter-island :e vessels. ; recent spate of inter-island s lost, strayed, wrecked and wise written-off, has focussed tion on the perilous condition Dsidiary transport in the South c to-day. sent air services to, and with ic South Pacific Islands cater it exclusively for passenger ; (Papua-New Guinea ex i), and have scheduled flights ain ports and trading centres i promoters of the new scheme e that such air services are e to contribute directly to the port and development problems my island enterprises of great tial wealth and importance in roadless areas off the beaten are dependent upon circuitous, :ono m 1 c, and unscheduled es by Islands craft. Flying can land at a thousand and 'Oints remote from the nearest i airstrip. jy believe that directors of is enterprises would welcome dee that could deliver say, eight of precious freight, or 100 ly precious employees, at the st bay or jetty in a matter of , by Solent flying-boat, ile the tendency towards land s has been evident in recent the promoters of this venture

believe that Islands business is fly ing-boat business.

A 3-years pioneering plan is en visaged, operating from a central island base with an eventual fleet of three Solent flying-boats for estab lished services and two Sea Otter amphibious aircraft for feeder ser vices.

Laucala Bay, Suva, Fiji, suggests itself as a central base for freight and passenger utility services to French Oceania, Samoa, New Caledonia, New Hebrides, the

lomon Islands, and other smaller jups, with a possible feeder link mi the Solomons to Port Moresby, NG. :t is not the intention to touch Inland business, which is already 11 catered for by existing air ser es. rhe Sea Otter amphibious air ft can be put into service in some i months time and it is likely that ! first of the Solent fleet would be lilable about September, iformation from Islands residents existing or potential business in groups mentioned would be wel led by Mr. J. Conley, Australian craft Sales, 40 Darlinghurst Road, Iney, NSW.