Nauru's cheaper

At least Air Nauru's cheaper

Was it a paradox that among the free ($750 return fare) seats dished out by the Nauruan Government for the inaugural flight of Air Nauru in late February, from Brisbane to Nauru, via Honiara, was one to Captain G. (Scotty) Allen?

Captain Allen, well-known in Fiji and the Samoas, is chairman of Fiji Airways, the other airline offering northbound services to Nauru at prices which are among the world’s highest.

As an advisor to Qantas, which manages Fiji Airways, he was in volved in moves put to Nauru for the republic to take a financial stake in Fiji Airways. With now-fulfilled hopes of having its own airline, Nauru had hesitated joining Fiji Airways.

Before it finally came into Fiji Airways, shareholders Qantas and

BOAC had stated that Nauru had “applied” to join the company at the same time as President Hammer deßoburt had denied this on a trip to Sydney.

At the time, President deßoburt had held hopes that Central Pacific Airlines, an associate firm of the republic’s disastrous football pools promoters, would be Nauru’s airline and he would therefore have a stronger bargaining point with FA.

CPA, however, fell through. Nauru was left high and dry. Then mid last year it took up $20,000 worth of Fiji Airways shares.

The Air Nauru fares, first-class only for eight passengers, are Bris bane-Nauru, return $750, single $375. Aircraft used is a chartered Fan Jet Falcon.

The Fiji Airways fares, economy class, after international airline con nections Sydney-Fiji, are Sydney- Nauru, via Fiji and the Gilbert and Ellice Islands, return $771.30, $405.50 single.

Both fare rates are well above return trans-Pacific economy-class rates, and those, by world standards, are already too high.