Flights To Norfolk
p. 118 · Read in the full issue
No Need' For
Extra Nz
From Kelvin R. King
in Auckland Norfolk Island will now de finitely not be served by another international airline in the near future. At present the only link between Norfolk and New Zea land is a weekly service from Auckland operated by Air New Zealand using a chartered Qantas DC4.
But a few months ago an Auckland-based marketing and public relations concern, acting on behalf of interested parties in both countries, approached NZ Minister of Trans port Gordon, asking permission to file a formal application to operate an independent air service to Nor folk.
Detailed plans were not formulated but it was expected that the service would be undertaken in co-operation
with NZ private airlines or alterna tively with an international charter airline.
The promoting organisation— Roskel Communications—was in terested only in presenting a case for the new airline and then turning the matter over to some suitably experienced organisation for imple mentation.
But the Minister of Transport re fused to allow any application to be lodged. After that little was heard from former supporters of the scheme and now Roskel Communi cations has signified that it is with drawing completely.
However, it feels that many people would be interested in the following excerpts from a letter sent by Acting Minister of Transport Carter: “I would have serious doubts about the commercial success of such a venture. The popularity of Norfolk Island as a holiday destination insofar as the New Zealand traveller is con cerned has been declining steadily.
This can be seen from Air New Zealand’s loadings which particularly over the past few years have fallen right away. In fact in 1968 service frequency was double what it is to day but insufficient public support forced a cut-back to a once-weekly operation, and even now demand is very unsatisfactory.
“It is estimated that this downward trend is, to a large extent, irreversible, the reason being the large number of rival Pacific Island holiday resorts now readily accessible to New Zealanders. The conversely marked growth in Air New Zealand’s car riage to Fiji, for example, highlights the extent to which the public spot light has turned away from Norfolk.
This island’s potential as regards New Zealand tourists could be further clouded by the pending introduction of services to the Cook Islands which will give New Zealanders the oppor tunity of a Pacific Island holiday un hampered by exchange restrictions.”