Fiji Isolated from Australia, USA,

Could Be Hint Of Things to Come

Fiji Isolated from Australia, USA, While Repairs Made at Nadi

Scant warning of less than a month that Nadi international airport was to be closed for repairs, and the obvious disregard of Fiji s convenience by the Aviation authorities, have caused annoyance in all sections of the Fiji community.

FIJI has been without a direct air link to Australia or America since August 13, while Nadi International Airport is closed for the reconstruction of the intersection of two runways, Repairs are expected to take about 2 ee^ s ‘ Qantas, Pan American Airways, and Canadian Pacific Air Lines will operate Sydney - Auckland - Canton Island and vice versa during this period.

While Nadi is closed, Tasman Empire Airways is operating a flying-boat service between Auckland and Laucala Bay, Suva, three times a week.

This service will leave Laucala Bay on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays at 7.30 a.m., and will leave Auckland for Laucala Bay at 8 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

The flying-boat service will enable inward and outward Fiji passengers to make plane connec-

tions at Auckland, All overseas air mails will v> carried between Auckland and Suva by TEAL.

Air mails from Australia for Piii will close at the GPO at Svdnev on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7 a.m. These mails will be transferred from TEAL DC6 to flying-boat at Auckland for Suva Inward mails for Australia from Fiji will leave from Suva on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. thttt’ci TritiDToir T , TT — TT

Fiji T Tc Jh^ Ist Industry

A - Ll Upside Down”

The announcement that Nadi Airport was to close for 10 or 15 da y g gave rise to considerable criticism in Fiji. Particularly as such short notice was given although those responsible must have been aware of the hold-up for months—and because the month selected for the work is one of Fiji’s busiest tourist months,

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has been stated that the work ‘constructing the intersection le two runways makes the ig down of the Airport ridable. The Fiji Public Works rtment will assist the New nd Public Works Department, man Empire Airways Ltd. i will run services from Suva ickland and return during the ), will be able to offer 135 per week each way with space irgo and mails. tourist-class seats will be hie. ise passengers who already sonfirmed seats on the Hibiscus e flights from Nadi to and will be automatically 'erred to the nearest Suva and Flying Boat Service.

Bookings Upset

Bob Hewlett, Secretary of iji Visitors Bureau, said that result of the closing down of Airport, travel and hotel igs were “all upside down.”

I agencies and hotels also ed the same confusion. short stop-over tours from ca would have to be led, Mr. Hewlett said, as it scarcely be expected that can travellers would proceed ckland and go back to Suva there. i estimated that 135 seats per is inadequate for the traffic ;n Australia-New Zealand iji.

Iadi—“Limited Life”

present hiatus has again rived the question of the timate usefulness of Nadi, i believed by many that Nadi e “out” as an international b when Tafuna in Eastern - is brought up to require for the new jet age—the :ans are planning to spend lion on it. three big Pacific operators, 5. PAA and CPAL, are •ily interested in carrying gers between Australia (or ,nd the United States. The ediate haul, between Sydney ladi or Auckland and Nadi, ice versa, represents a small n of their business. built during the war, “just led to be there” and to date erved a useful purpose as ? point for these trans air operators. With bigger, and longer-range aircraft V in production, it is ible that Nadi will ultimately -passed, as Noumea —once a link in the trans-Pacific i —was by-passed years ago.

Unfortunately for Fiji, a vital part of its commercial life has now become orientated to the fact that it is on an important international air route; it will not be easy for the Colony to re-adjust itself if— or more probably, when—Nadi is found to be no longer necessary for the operations of the trans pacific airline companies.

The present crisis is sufficient indication that Fiji’s convenience will receive scant attention. Nadi airport is operated under the direction of the Civil Aviation authorities of Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

So far as they are concerned, Nadi was already there and in the right place. It could well have been

that Mangaia, Swain’s or Palmyra would suited their purposes as well. Fiji has been fortunate— notto dale—that these islands did The first Qantas service out of Sydney on the temporary route was scheduled for August 14, and the first southbound service, out of San Francisco, for August 11.

Qantas time-tables from Sydney are unchanged. Planes leave Sydney at 11 a.m., arrive Auckland at 6 Pm., leave Auckland 7.15 p.m. and arrive at Canton Island at 5.15 am next day.

PAA planes leave Sydney at 9.45 a.m., instead of 11.45 a.m, as previously, and will arrive at Auckland at 4.45 p.m. They leave

Auckland at 6 p.m. and arrive' Canton Island at 4.45 p.m. i day.

On the southbound route I will arrive at Canton Island s a.m, leave at 4.15 a.m. and an at Auckland at 1 p.m. next They leave Auckland at 2.15 and arrive at Sydney at 6.15 CPAL will operate on the ss route as Qantas and PAA.

Aircraft will leave Sydney\ 9.30 p.m. on Wednesdays, arrive Auckland at 4.30 a.m?., next and leave Auckland at 5.30 for Honolulu, via Canton Islam Inward aircraft will 1 e Honolulu at 3.30 p.m. on Mono and will arrive at Auckland,, Canton Island, at 6.45 a.m..

Wednesdays. Departure 1 Auckland is 7.45 a.m.

Wednesdays, and arrival time, Sydney is 11 a.m.