Major Developments In
pp. 7-8 · Read in the full issue
South Pacific Aviation
Aviation in the South Pacific reached an important mile stone in July when Fiji Airways inaugurated a fortnightly service between Fiji and the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony.
IRE new service means that all major island groups in the South cific are now linked by air for the »t time.
The inauguration of the GEIC vice (full story next page) was one several significant developments in uth Pacific aviation in the last few eks. Others included; • The establishment of a weekly flight service between Nadi, Fiji, i Sydney by Air-India, which ans that South Pacific travellers i now go from Nadi to London a Madras and Bombay) without mging planes. (See story p. 129.) • A request by French Polynesia’s rritorial Assembly (parliament) to French Government asking that AL be allowed to re-establish its ckland-Papeete service because of sharp decline in revenue from irism in the French territory, • A visit to Tahiti by two top ntas officials, Messrs. C. O. Turner 1 A. A. Barlow, to look things ;r for the inauguration of a new ntas service to London via Tahiti, xico, the Bahamas and Bermuda, ich it is hoped to begin in Novem . (Mr. Turner is the chief execu
tive and general manager of Qantas, and Mr. Barlow is manager of the airline’s eastern division.) The decision by French Polynesia’s Territorial Assembly to ask the French Government to allow TEAL to re-establish its Auckland-Papeete service was made after the local Director of Tourism, Mr. Gilloteau, had given the Assembly some dis quieting statistics.
Mr. Gilloteau said that from the end of last year (when TEAL’s traffic rights in Tahiti were terminated) to May this year, the number of tourists visiting Tahiti had dropped by 15.76 per cent, compared with the same period last year.
Except for January, which showed an increase of 18 per cent, over 1963, every month had registered a decline—February, 7 per cent.; March, 36 per cent.; April, 19.36 per cent.; and May, 29.30 per cent.
Mr. Gilloteau said: “Although it seemed that one could expect more encouraging results in 1964 because of new air links with the United States, an unforseen factor con founded these predictions—the sup pression of the weekly services of
the New Zealand company (TEAL) after it had served Tahiti for a num ber of years.”
Councillor Drollet then moved that approaches be made to the French Government and the territory’s repre sentatives in the French Parliament so that TEAL’s service could be re established.
After this motion was carried unanimously, Mr. Gilloteau said that Governor Aime Grimald had sent a “strong note” to the French Govern ment some time ago urging that a new arrangement be made with TEAL in the interests of Tahiti.
It was a few days after this debate that Messrs, Turner and Barlow were in Tahiti in conjunction with the new Qantas service to London.
While there, they no doubt sounded out the possibility of the French Government restoring the full traffic rights to Qantas in Tahiti that were
Spectacular
Ship Fire
The 257-ton New Hebrides trader “Sorana del Mar” was burnt to the waterline and became a total loss on July 14 after a cargo of 700 drums of petroleum caught fire about 12 miles off Espiritu Santo. The crew escaped in the ship’s boat. The burnt out remains of ship, which belonged to Mr. Athol Rusden, of Vila, drifted ashore on Tutuba Island. —Tin Tin Photo.
withdrawn, along with TEAL’s, at the end of last year.
If these rights were restored, Qantas’ proposed service—with the “plums” of Mexico, the Bahamas and Bermuda—would be one of the most attractive in the world.
However, at the moment it seems unlikely that the French Government will restore these rights—unless the Australian Government is prepared to offer the French airline, UTA, an equally attractive slice of the Aus tralian passenger cake. So when the new Qantas service begins, Tahiti will merely be a refuelling stop.
UTA’s view is that it can manage comfortably with its present Pacific arrangements without giving con cessions to Qantas.
The opening of the new inter national jet airport at Auckland (Mangere) next year will step up the pace in South Pacific air services, with international airlines competing with each other across the Tasman and beyond.
Air-India, UTA, Pan American, BOAC, Qantas and TEAL will all eventually be fighting for air space through New Zealand. Various nego tiations in and around the Pacific in the last 12 months have all been directed at gaining traffic rights in the South Seas as soon as Mangere is opened.
Two other developments in Pacific aviation in July were announcements that: • The two Australian airlines, Ansett-ANA and TAA, will increase their services to Papua-New Guinea in November because of growing traffic on this route. • Airlines of New South Wales will put a recently-acquired flying boat into service on its Sydney-Lord Howe Island service in September.
Choice For Passengers Both Ansett-ANA and TAA will each increase their services from Sydney to Port Moresby and Lae to seven a week, and the fortnightly “Friendship” service from Northern Queensland to Papua will become a weekly service. TTiis means that P NG passengers may choose to fly on daily Ansett or TAA aircraft instead of having to take the service offering.
The two airlines at present share the traffic by running on alternate days.
Airlines of New South Wales is converting a Sunderland flying-boat to Sandringham standards to go into service on the Sydney-Lord Howe route.
When the aircraft, as yet unnamed, goes into service, the flying-boat, Beachcomber, will be withdrawn for a complete overhaul.