Fiji Air Base

Nz Silent On

Future Of

From a Suva Correspondent The New Zealand Chief of the Air Staff, Air Vice Marshall I. G.

Morrison, visited Fiji in March and on his return to NZ was as com municative as an oyster about the future of the RNZAF base at Laucala Bay, in Fiji. Fiji is concerned that the base, which means so much to the economy of Suva, may be closed because the RNZAF has bought new Hercules aircraft. (“PEM”, March, p. 17).

AIR Vice Marshal Morrison did say, however, that he had had confidential talks with the Govern ment of Fiji on the future of RNZAF maritime operations from the Colony.

He added: ‘The RNZAF has made certain re commendations to the New Zealand Government on a land-plan replace ment aircraft for the new obsolete flying-boats. I can give no indication about when the Government will make any decision on these recom mendations”.

He uttered a platitude, a sop as it were to newspaper reporters seeking hard news, when he said it had been most gratifying to him to see the close co-operation and mutual re spect between the people of Fiji and

the Laucala Bay station. Many Fiji people had emphasised to him the importance they attached to the ability of the RNZAF to fulfil its maritime role in the area.

The Fiji Times, commenting on the purchase of the Hercules aircraft, said the end of the use of flying boats must mean the closure of Laucala Bay, unless the base could be adapted for use by the Hercules.

Closure of the base would mean the loss of about £.750,000 a year spent in Fiji and about 400 local men and women employed directly at the base would be thrown out of work.

The only possibility of a base re maining in the Suva area would be the quick development of an airport at Suva Point, capable of taking the

Hercules. Finance rules that ou far as Fiji’s resources are concer unless there is a Colonial Deve ment and Welfare grant for specific purpose, or unless Aush and New Zealand weigh in. The ( alternative is to convert Nadi t dual civil-military airport.

Air Vice Marshal Morrison’s decessor, Air Vice Marshall M.

Calder, visited Fiji in May last ] on a farewell tour and in an ir view gave a qualified answer al the future of Laucala Bay. He then that no decision had been rr about a replacement for the ag< Sunderlands.

However, the Sunderlands t still had about five years of us life in them, so the natural infere was that the Laucala Bay base wc remain in existence till 1967.

Air Vice Marshall Calder did ignore the possibility of some sor land plane being based at Suva P 1 should a decision be made to reel land for an airstrip. He sugge; this was worth examining, and laying the strip could be a operative effort between Fiji New Zealand.

It appears that since Air T Marshal Calder relinquished his ideas have changed.

While Hercules transports certainly land on the sea, like the RNZAF Sui[?] lands, they are capable of landing [?] pocket handkerchief-sized airfield in n conditions. The RAAF has put there good use in the Pacific—such as time they took hurricane relief to (above).