Teal Withdraws

From Tongan Service

FOR the second time Tonga has been cut off from air-communica tion with the outside world.

Tasman Empire Airways has an nounced that from June, the flying boat service between Suva and Nukualofa will cease at the request of the Tongan Government.

Tonga has recently had built in Holland a small vessel called the A’oniu for the Tonga Copra Board.

It was announced last month that she would maintain a service be tween Suva and Nukualofa. How ever, she is not due in Tonga until December, 1957, so in the meantime Tonga will have to make do with the regular visits of the USS Co.’s motor-vessel Tofua for travel beyond the Kingdom.

TEAL has been running an irregular flying-boat service for about four years. At one time a regular ser vice with DC3 aircraft was main tained by National Airways Cor poration of New Zealand. The Tongan Government then decided to stop the service on the grounds that it was costing too much and it was of no use to Tongans, any way, but only to Europeans.

Coral Route Air Fares Up

TEAL made another announce ment in April—this time that Coral Route fares would rise from May 1.

It will now cost £NZIO7/10/- or £NZIO more to fly from Auckland to Papeete and about £NZ2/10/- more to fly from Auckland to Apia. There will be no increase on the Hibiscus Service (DC6 aircraft) between Auckland and Nadi, Fiji.

European air-fares rose by 5 per cent, on May 1. This is not expected to have any effect on international airlines operating in the South Pacific—yet.