New £3 Million Airport At Nadi

Will it Remain as Trans-Pacific Stop?

IF the new jet airliners, which will begin to fly the Pacific in June, 1959, are to make use of Nadi, in Fiji, as a fuelling-station, the runways now in use at that in ternational airport will have to be re-built and lengthened. They now are not strong enough, and too short for trans-ocean jet airliners.

They are likely to be too narrow also, as jet planes act like vacuum cleaners, and it is necessary t have wide, clean airstrips.

If this work, estimated to cost about £3 million sterling, is to be completed in time, a start must be made with it about April, 1958.

To consider this matter, the South Pacific Air Transport Council (SPATC), representing Australia, Britain, New Zealand Canada Fiji and Western Pacific High Commission, will meet mNew Zealand next month. The SPAio countries (which will share the cost') have set up an Airpoit Group of experts to submit recommenda tions to the Council in NZ m No vember. .

It is reported that the new air port will need a new instrument funway of 8,500 feet, and another (and smaller) runway of 7,500 f OCt Upon SPATC’s decision—which is almost certain to be in favour of constructing the new airport— depends the decision of the air

companies whether to use Nadi, or some other airport.

When this development was first discussed, some months ago, it was suggested that the trans-Pacific air route might be rearranged, so as to reduce the three fuelling stops (Honolulu, Canton Island and Nadi) to two; and that Canton Is. or Nadi might be the one elimin ated.

Airlines Meet and Talk about Hotels CAPITAL on a large scale to build hotels was Fiji’s basic tourist problem agreed repre sentatives of South Pacific airlines who met unofficially in Suva in early October.

Lines represented included Tasman Airways, TAI, Hawaiian Airlines, P. G. Taylor, Ltd., Ansett Airways and Fiji Airways.