Johnston Is.

Air ban on Johnston Is.

By a staff writer

The first consignment of mustard and nerve gas, unwanted by the American armed forces, was shipped in January to Johnston Island, a tiny, flat American possession about 700 miles south-west of Honolulu. The gas came from Okinawa, and more is to follow For a Pacific island, Johnston is about as isolated as you can get and there is no native population—just a team of bored Americans working for the government. Johnston is mostly airstrip (see PIM, Oct., p. 30) and the gas will be stored in buildings surrounded by high bunk ers. It’s not likely to cause trouble to outsiders.

However the American gas has caused so much trouble in Okinawa (where there have been demonstra tions, and where on one occasion there was a gas leakage), that the US Government is taking no chances on Johnston, Continental Airlines in mid-Janu ary, under US Government orders, made its last stop at Johnston for refuelling on the long Air Micro nesia flight which links Hawaii with the US Trust Territory of Micro nesia.

And as a result, the Republic of Nauru has had to be unexpectedly wiped off Air Micronesia’s schedule.

Air Micronesia 727 jets have been flying Honolulu, Johnston, Majuro, Kwajalein on the service ending at Guam and Saipan. Each fortnight they have extended the Majuro leg on to Nauru and return, thus giving travellers access to the South Pacific.

But this extended leg has only been possible because of the Johnston re fuelling stop. Air Micronesia is planning now to use Midway Island, which will add considerably to the flying time.

In late January, Air Nauru had applied to the US CAB to operate

the fortnightly service Nauru-Majuro

return, at a higher fare and cargo rate.

Air Nauru is a charter service based in Australia and operating on behalf of the Nauru Government with a small but fast Falcon fanjet.

It flies to Nauru weekly via Brisbane and Honiara and recently extended its service from Nauru to Tarawa in the Gilbert and Ellice Islands.