Lets May Alter South

Ji’S Vested Interest

Developments

Lets May Alter South Pacific Air Routes

HOSE who follow such matters report that there are indica tions of a possible big-scale iurbance in the Trans-Pacific ways routes, especially as they ;ct Fiji.

Tie introduction of jets is the se. The Americans think that if ii is to be used by jets it will need ensive adjustments; some are in 3ur of abandoning Nadi, he South Pacific Air Transport mcil, which apparently has hority over all airfields Dmmodation in the South ific, was—quite inconspicuously i session in Suva in mid-April, nade no announcement —in fact, seemed anxious to stay mspicuous. at it is known that they con red the overall S. Pacific airfields ern—and looked over Fiji, irently with a view to something e suitable than Nadi. Ba (north t, Viti Levu) is believed to have i favoured, is said that if Nadi only is lable, US jets may switch from l to Tafuna airport, which the s developing near Papo Pago, E. oa, ie British Trans-Pacific air — notably, Qantas do not ar to be taking the same lively est in what is going on. That scause Qantas has not been in a hurry as the others to change to jets.

L these reports are of con iderable interest to Fiji. The ufief stop of all these Trans ic airlines at Nadi, going and ag between Australia, New md, United States and Canada, ite a factor in Fiji’s economic and, thereby, the residents of :an get very quick and efficient ransport to any part of the : Fiji thinks this may be a )le occasion for review of the inconvenient and irritating lal airfields system, under i all air traffic between Suva the rest of Fiji is funnelled gh the second-class, flood tened little strip at Nausori, t the end of 13 miles of pot road.

Fiji Airways, the Colony now - very good internal airways i. Suva, Nadi, Lautoka, Ba, a, Savu Savu and Taveuni are all linked by direct air or d-bus services. But the Y cannot get the full benefit ie organisation while the ri set-up remains, is bad enough that the 1 should be 100 air-miles away

from the international airport. The transport difficulties and frustra tions are made worse because Nausori is so far away and so quickly affected by weather.

WITH an international airport right at its back door, Fiji should be able to get an answer to its airmailed letters back from Australia or New Zealand within three days. Because the Post Office is not geared at all to the air services, Suva cannot do it m less than six days; other centres are worse off.

Recently, on a Friday, this writer called at the Nadi Airfield Post Office at 4.4 p.m., and asked for an airmail letterform, so that he might get a letter to Sydney by

aircraft due in Sydney on Saturday. He was curtly informed that the PO was closed at 4 pjn., and they were not going to open it again for Father Peter. This writer could not get back to Suva to catch the Saturday airmail (which closes at the ridiculously inconvenient hour of 11 a.m.) and his communication had to await the next Suva airmail (closing at 3 p.m. on Tuesday!), to catch the Wednesday aircraft at Nadi Consequently, the letter, which could have been in Sydney on Saturday, did not reach there until the following Thursday.

That is a fair example of the kind of service that Fiji receives under its present Post Office system.