her wings

Nauru's all set to spread her wings

There is likely to be a big in crease in visitors to Nauru if Nauru Government’s plans to in crease the capacity of Air Nauru come to fruition.

Air Nauru commenced a fort nightly service between Australia and the island in February last year and increased the frequency to weekly in June the same year.

The airline is using a modern but small (eight-seater) Falcon jet chartered from the Australian company, Business Jets, and de spite the greater frequency is often embarrassed for lack of space. The small cargo carrying capacity of the French jet is a particular defi ciency as far as the Nauruans are concerned.

Several full size jets have been under study, and it seems likely that the government will soon de cide to purchase a Boeing 727 or similar aircraft. The island airstrip is adequate to take a Boeing with modified landing gear, and Air Micronesia in fact operated such an aircraft to Nauru for some time last year.

The Nauruans see a great poten tial in inter-island air cargo traffic as well as passengers, and would probably decide on a 50/50 pas senger/cargo configuration.

The government is also proceed ing with plans to build up the strip to the standard required for heavier aircraft. It also intends to extend the runway length from the present 5,300 ft to 5,800 ft, by building out over the reef. The additional length would enable Air Nauru with larger aircraft to reach any point in the Pacific where the government is ever likely to want to fly. ...

At present, an air terminal being built beside the strip is due to be completed by about September.

Stage one of Nauru’s first hotel is expected to be completed by Constitution Day—May 17.

To be called the Naoero—the old name for Nauru —the hotel will have 32 rooms, each with bath, shower and telephone. It will be of international standard, and facilities will include bar, restaur ant and swimming pool, function room and souvenir shop. There will be 24-hour room service.

The hotel has two VIP suites to accommodate visiting notables. It is being built in one of the most picturesque spots on the island, overlooking Anibare Bay.

The hotel, which will have a staff of 16, mostly Nauruan, is be ing built by the Nauru Local Gov ernment Council. The council ac quired the site after liquidation of the Central Pacific Pools company, and it is expected to be completed fully by August.

Councillor James Bop, who is in charge of the project said that erection of the hotel would enable Nauru to accommodate passengers transiting on the island to and from Tarawa and Majuro.

At present, visitors to the island must be privately accommodated in either government or Nauru Phosphate Commission houses.

While the government is not actively pursuing a policy of at tracting tourists, it is nevertheless anxious that visitors to the island be properly accommodated.

Nauru is spreading its wings, figuratively speaking, in other directions as well.

The republic will open its third overseas office in Tokyo soon (the others are in Melbourne and Lon don). The Tokyo office will be the first one to be staffed by a Nauruan, but no announcement regarding the appointment has yet been made.

The office will also be the first Nauruan diplomatic post abroad, and will be at consular level. Both the Melbourne and London offices are presided over by Australian and British nationals respectively, who have the title of Nauru Rep resentative.

It is understood that the Japan ese plan to have reciprocal diplo matic representation on Nauru.

The only country directly repre sented on the island is Australia, which maintains Mr. Richard Gate, who is known as the Austra lian Representative. He also looks after the affairs of the New Zea land and UK Governments on request.

The closer diplomatic ties with Japan underline the growing business connections between the two countries. Japan is currently the only country outside of Aus tralia and NZ to be a customer for Nauruan phosphate, and the Nauruans chose a Japanese ship yard to build their first bulk car rier, a 30.000 ton vessel now under construction.