Still Pressing

Ansetts' NG Service

For Decision

A visit by a senior Departm® of Civil Aviation officer 1

Papua-New Guinea early I

1958 should finally decide

fate of the Ansett-ANA ap| cation for a licence to fly betwe Australia and New Guinea.

THE officer, probably the Assistai ant Director-General, Air Tra port Policy, Dr. H. W. Poult will report following his visit* whether Ansett should be allowec compete with Qantas, which has monopoly of the service.

The Ansett application has b before the Commonwealth months. An earlier application ' rejected in May on the grounds t present services were adequate, i that DCA in any case intended review the whole New Guii policy and would complete that fore making any new arrangeme; Dr. Poulton’s visit will be b of this review.

Ansett managing-director; Mr.: Ansett, has had his hands full la. with integration problems invol in his takeover of the ANA orgs sation, and has not been push his New Guinea application.

Nevertheless, he has been a more active than a lot of pe« expected, and he has been c» plaining behind the scenes that Government has been using de’ ing tactics on his New Gui application.

DCA was to have made its sui several months ago, not next ye Mr. Ansett says he is in a p tion to give a New Guinea ser right away.

HE offers a daily service, wl would be arranged by linl Lae and Port Moresby r Cairns. Existing Ansett trunk vices already connect Cairns t the southern cities, including 1 bourne.

The Ansett view is that arrangement would be rn economic than the Qantas ser" which has to duplicate exise trunk services between Sydney Cairns.

Says Mr. Ansett, “Our case f<* licence is unanswerable”.

Whether or not it is, the Pap New Guinea Administration is kt ing fairly neutral. It is aware tic is public demand in New Gui for more opposition to Qantas, , it is not sure of the economics.

Qantas does a lot of work irr New Guinea for which it gets thanks and even less cash, and] Administration benefits.