Small, fast jets give a new
pp. 63-68 · Read in the full issue
look to Islands air routes
By a staff writer
Regular air services between several South Pacific ter ritories took on a modern look in September and October with the appearance at local airports of two small, fast jets.
The aircraft —a British Hawker Siddeley 748 turboprop 40-seater for Fiji Airways, and a French-built 76passenger Caravelle jet for UTA Air France both cut hours from previous scheduled times and carried over four times as many passengers as before.
These fast, modern jets commuting between island groups should en courage more visitors to see more of the South Pacific than they get by passing through Nadi or Tahiti airports. Up to now the only jets in the South Pacific have been on the trunk routes.
The travel industry expects that more tour groups or charter opera tors will take advantage of the new equipment and see Islands territories that have no international airports.
Within a month, the Fiji Airways 748 will be flying regularly from Suva to the GEIC, the Solomons, the New Hebrides, Western Samoa and Tonga. In the new year the 748 could be going through Tarawa in the GEIC to the Marshall Islands, providing a direct Fiji link with Guam, via the GEIC and the United States Trust Territory.
Noumea-Vila-Tahiti
UTA’s bigger Caravelle jets started twice weekly services from Noumea to Vila on September 15, and a Noumea - Vila - Tahiti return flight service by Caravelle, to link France’s South Pacific interests, is not so very far off.
On its first two flights to Vila and Honiara from Suva in October, the shiny $1 million-plus 748 carried 16 passengers. The Heron, which it replaced, could carry only eight passengers on this run.
A big crowd turned out to see the 748’s landing at Vila’s Bauerfield airport on September 20 for the first time. In the afternoon, several dis tinguished passengers, including the French Resident Commissioner, Mr.
J. Mouridan, went for a demonstra tion flight around Efate.
Five days later, it was the Caravelle’s turn, and it took over the Noumea-Vila run from the aged DC4 as from that date. On Sep tember 29 the Caravelle arrived again from Noumea and took both Resi dent Commissioners on a flight.
Champagne was served.
The 748 had its most colourful reception when it arrived on a prov ing flight at Tonga from Nadi on October 9. It flew via Pago Pago, American Samoa, and picked up Tonga’s first group of 39 Peace Corps volunteers.
Hundreds gathered at Tonga’s air port to welcome their new fast air link. Tonga Peace Corps Director Mr. Chuck Butler met the Peace Corpsmen and excited Tongans gazed at the gleaming jet.
An hour after landing, King Taufa’ahau was the first passenger aboard for a special flight over Tongatapu.
On November 8 the 748 will make
General manager of Fiji Airways, Captain A. J. R. Duffield.
first regular flight to Tonga, ra cing the DC3 service.
'he plane’s first regular flight to GEIC was expected at Tarawa October 22. It will return to Fiji next day and from then on run :nightly.
'he first 748 services from Fiji to stern Samoa were to have started October 28, but the Samoan ition authorities made it known ut a month earlier that Apia’s solo airstrip was still not up to idard to handle the new plane, lowever, it was thought in avia [ circles that there might be some ig more to it than that—that Air v Zealand, a shareholder in stern Samoa’s Polynesian Airlines lited, might want its yet-to-be vered DC4 operating before the appears on the Samoan scene.
Ir. Frank Nicol, Fiji Airways imercial manager, told PIM the two 748 Suva-Honiara flights “very promising” loadings, and yard bookings were “very en raging”. he jet was also available for ■ter, providing charter times did clash with regular services. Mr. hoi said he expected many ericans would fly with the 748 Honiara and then catch TAA ker Friendships through Rabaul New Guinea and on to Port •esby. .t Vila, the 748 also linked up i modern aircraft—the Caravelles tid travellers now had a fast ifortable ride from Suva to ney, via Vila and Noumea, if ’ wanted to see two extra terri js before arriving in Australia, iji Airways is owned by four :ies—Qantas, BOAC, Air New land and the Fiji Government— each has an equal share.
However, since 1958 Qantas have managed and virtually run the show with their own managers and main tenance men.
Qantas’ 1966-67 report says that Fiji Airways had a loss of £F71,605 for the year ended March 31, 1966.
Part of the loss was attributed to increased costs of operating the Heron aircraft—two of which will be replaced by the 748.
When Fiji Airways’ results to March this year are revealed in December they are expected to show a small profit.
While the arrival of the 748 is too late to influence these results, its operations should put the airline’s results well into profitability for 1967-68.
Fiji Airways Ltd. was first set up in late 1932 by Guinea Airways Ltd., of Lae, NG. However it lasted only a year.
Pioneer Australian navigator, the
late Harold Gatty, formed the present airline as his private company in September, 1951, A Dragon Rapide aircraft con nected Suva with Nadi and Lautoka.
This later extended to Labasa, on Vanua Levu.
With the aid of a considerable tax subsidy from the Fiji Government, Gatty made a tidy profit for six years. Gatty died in 1957 and his wife sold to Qantas. Qantas put in its own manager and replaced the De Havilland Drover fleet with Heron aircraft.
Domestic services were extended to Savusavu on Vanua Levu, and to Matei and Ura on Taveuni.
In the 1960’s regional services to other territories began and today the airline services the GEIC, the Solomons, the New Hebrides, Western Samoa and Tonga besides Fiji, BOAC and Air New Zealand bought into the company in January, 1960. The Fiji Government followed suit in March, 1965.
TONGA’S first Tourist Bureau, under the management of Mr.
R. M. Dowell, opened in Nukualofa recently. The bureau organises tours and entertainment and hopes in the near future to publish literature on Tonga’s tourist attractions.
Captain J. N. Weir, Boac’S
manager, South-West Pacific, for the past eight years, will retire at the end of this year and be re placed by Mr. Sidney Hildrew, at present BOAC’s manager for Lebanon, Syria and Jordan, based in Beirut.
In Suva in October the interior of Fiji Airways' HS748 is inspected by (from left) Mrs, D. Thorpe, Mrs. G. Ganley and Ratu David Togani valu, MLC.
UTA's Caravelle jet shows off its modern lines at Vila's Bauer field in September after a 45 minute flight from Noumea.