Air Fares And

On the Up—and Up

Shipping Freight

Residents o f Papua-New Guinea will be hit by recent announcements of rises in air plane fares and in shipping freight rates.

The rises have, in both cases, been attributed to higher operating costs, particularly higher wages.

People who use TEAL and Qantas planes in other parts of the Pacific will also be affected.

The Qantas fares from Sydney to Papua-New Guinea, Noumea and the BSIP have risen by between 8 and 15 per cent., and the Qantas- TEAL fare from Sydney to Coral Route airports by from 11 to 20 per cent. TEAL fares from Auckland to the Coral Route are up by from 5 to 12 per cent.; and from Suva to the Coral Route by from 16 to 20 per cent.

The fares quoted below are the new single and return fares, with the amount of the increase in each case given in brackets.— Qantas, from Sydney to; Port Moresby, £5l/5/- (£4/14/-), £92/5/- (£B/15/-); Lae, £62/15/- (£7/8/-), £ll2/19/- (£l3/6/-); Rabaul, £72/9/- (£7/10/-), £l3O/9/- (£l3/10/-); Noumea, £5l/4/- (£4/9/-); £92/4/- (£6/9/-); Honiara, £94/5/- (£l3/18/-), £169/13/- (£25); Suva, £Bl/3/- (—), £147/2/- (£5/3/-).

Fares are quoted in Australian currency.

Quantas-Teal, from Sydney to: Apia, £lO9/5/- (£ll/18/-), £197/14/- (£22/11/-); Papeete, £174/5/- (£34/3/-), £314/14/- (£34/3/-); Aitutaki, £146/3/- (£26/15/-), £264/2/- (£52/3/-). Fares are quoted in Australian currency.

TEAL, from Auckland to: Apia, £55/10/- (£2/10/-), £99/18/- (£4/10/-); Aitutaki, £B5/14/- (£8), £154/6/- (£l4/8/-); Papeete, £lO7/10/- (£llO/10/-), £193/10/- (£lB/18/-).

Fares are quoted in NZ currency TEAL, from Suva to: Aitutaki, £57/15/- (£B/18/-). £lO3/19/- (£16); Papeete, £B2/14/- (£ll/2/-), £l4B/18/- (£2O). Fares are quoted in Fiji currency.

Freight rates on vessels trading between Aus tralian and Papua-New Guinea ports will rise by 10/- per ton—to £ll/10/- per ton, on the northbound voyage; and by 5/- per ton—to —on the southbound voyage. Rises arc effective August 1. Passenger fares remain as is".