Steady Progress Shown

Ntas Report

By Airline

PERATING profit of Qantas Empire Airways for the year ended December 31, 1956, was 6,878. After provision of £422,401 Australian and overseas income there remained a net profit of 4,477, equal to a return of seven cent, on paid-up capital (6.9 cent, in the previous financial r).

Revenue from all sources was ,833,751, which was £3,858,449, or per cent, higher, than 1955. hese figures are disclosed in the 3 annual report and balance et.

'otal expenditure was £18,926,873 3,598,397 higher than in 1955. n a year of new records, the ipany’s aircraft flew 13,859,920 e 5—1,500,0005 —1,500,000 miles more than the vious year. he company’s safety record was 1 maintained as there was no iry to a passenger or a crew nber. eferring to the Pacific area ser is, the report said that the com y completed its 10th year of ser ! in P-NG in 1956. In the period, itas has invested £500,000 in iblishing a self-supporting air with a dependable network of Bduled and charter services ex iing to the principal parts of Territory and adjacent islands, addition, there were two inter - .onal services operating from Lae i Hollandia, in Dutch New nea, and Honiara, in the BSI. antas assets in P-NG include 14 raft, a complete aircraft over -1 workshops, staff and passenger sing, catering facilities, and or transport. :aff strength at the end of the • numbered 200 Australians, 13 ns, and 331 indigenous personnel, re were six boys indentured er the Territories Native irenticeship Scheme, which was ; introduced in 1955. raffic revenue on the Sydney- G service increased from £863,723 .955 to £1,008,649 in 1956. There also an increase in the P-NG rnal service revenue from ,665 to £715,865. he report said that Qantas was Lous to provide a better service the route with more modern ;surised aircraft. Two additional er Constellations were ordered this in 1956, and will replace the masters as soon as reconstruc of Port Moresby aerodrome is pleted. evenue from services from Aus ia to other Pacific Islands,

chiefly New Caledonia and Norfolk, increased from £203,719 in 1955 to £216,956 in 1956.

The Sydney-Noumea Sky master service was operated once a fort night until the end of April, when it became necessary to increase the number of flights to three every four weeks.

However, the Sydney-Norfolk and Norfolk-Auckland services were re duced from one a week to one a fortnight because the volume of traffic did not warrant a weekly service.

On the Australia-North America route and intermediate airports (Nadi and Honolulu) revenue jumped by nearly one-third—from £2,262,643 to £3,264,711. The service frequency to North America was increased —from three to four flights a week in each direction. Three flights terminate at San Francisco and one at Vancouver.

Boeing Jets Ordered

AN important decision made dur ing the year was the ordering of seven Boeing jet airliners for delivery, starting in May, 1959. The aircraft ordered by Qantas are the smallest of five versions of the Boeing 707.

The new aircraft will carry a pay load of 17 tons over a maximum range of 3,500 miles. They will cut the Sydney-San Francisco flying time from 28 hours to 16 hours, and the Sydney-London time from 48 hours to 28 hours. They will carry 90 passengers—3o first-class and 60 tourist-class.

W edding of Suva

Girl in Sydney

THE marriage of Miss Noelle Derrick, third daughter of Fiji historian, Mr. R. A. Derrick, and Mrs. Derrick, with Mr. William Doncaster, of Sydney, took place at Scot’s Kirk, Mosman, on October Miss Derrick was born in Suva and educated there. She later entered the service of the Bank of New South Wales in Suva and, still with the Bank, was transferred to Sydney where she has been for the past four years.

The minister who performed the marriage ceremony was the Rev.

William Green, who for some years until 1949 was Chairman of the Methodist Mission in Fiji. t Schools of whales have been re ported frequenting several bays on the New Caledonian East coast. A couple of whales nearly wrecked a small fishing boat in the bay of Canala.