Airlines compete tor Norfolk

Norfolk Island has attracted the interest of several airlines which want to operate there from Australia and New Zealand. Included among them is the big Australian government-owned internal airline, TAA.

The Royal Commission into the future of the island recently received a number of submissions.

One was that Norfolk Island Airlines had offered the Norfolk Island Council a free shareholding in return for exclusive rights to provide the island’s air services to Australia and New Zealand. NIA could start operating with a leased jet F-28 at one month’s notice, and would buy its own aircraft for delivery in February, 1977, if authorised to take over the services.

Carrying 40 passengers a flight, it would earn between $3,000 and $5,000 a flight. It could break even with 27 passengers.

TAA advised it would like to take oyer the Sydney-Norfolk Island service if the airport was upgraded for larger jets. TAA would use Boeing 7275, which could carry up to 108 passengers and 2,040 kg of cargo.

TAA on present figuring, could operate the service economically with a return fare of $171.40.

East-West Airlines (NSW) was

prepared to take over the service from Qantas and use a F-27. The aircraft could carry 35 passengers. In case of bad weather it could hold over Norfolk Island for half an hour, and if necessary, fly on to Noumea.

Hawker de Havilland is pushing the Norfolk Island Council to allow the DHC-Dash 7, a pressurised four engine turbo prop, to go on to the service. The company claims the Dash 7 makes less noise and pollu tion impact than the DC4 at present used, and substantially less than other jets suggested for the island service. It could operate a daily service between Australia and Nor folk Island, carrying about 40 pas sengers. It could also land at Lord Howe Island, if necessary. The air craft needed a runway of only 2,400 eet to ta^e °ff an d land.

Dur uv

Company

Broke Radio Laws

Steamships Trading Co Ltd paid the penalty with the loss of radio transmitting equipment worth $1,500 when it pleaded guilty in Port Moresby Court to having been un lawfully in possession of two un licensed radio transceivers, The magistrate, Mr M. Mackellar, said that because of forfeiture of

the equipment he would impose no further penalty. He took into account the company’s good record as a small ship operator, and because it oper ated the equipment without deli berate attempt to violate the existing radio communication laws.

Mr Lester Cooke, a radio inspec tor, told the court that two trans ceivers were found installed in the manager’s office in Port Moresby.

The search for the apparatus fol lowed reported interference to the Port Moresby Coastal Radio Service by another station.

Mr N. Malik, for the company, said shippers and consignees along the coast relied entirely on broad est shipping schedules, which were mnly accurate when ships were able :o transmit information reliably at Frequent intervals.

The company had tried for many /ears to improve its efficiency in :ommunications. It had approached he retiring Director of Posts and felegraphs in November, 1974, and jxplained its dilemma. The company nterpreted the sympathy of the lirector to indicate that emergency isage of the equipment would not )e regarded too harshly. It was not in intentional flagrant breach of the aw.

Solomons Traders

Sack Air Nauru

The Honiara Chamber of Com nerce is in favour of Air Nauru >eing given full traffic rights in the Solomons in place of the present re uelling rights. The chamber con iders that a second carrier would lot have a detrimental effect on Air ’acific. Instead, it could open a sec >nd gateway to Australia in Mel lourne.

Air Pacific flights through Honiara o Australia terminate in Brisbane.

Tie second service into Australia /ould generate more traffic for Air ‘acific, rather than divert it, the hamber argues. The commercial ourist potential of Victoria and ’asmania was untapped for the Solomons. Access to that market ould only be achieved if Air Nauru /as granted rights between Mel bourne and Honiara.

Rongan Ship Sinks:

:rew escapes on logs The Kao, 50 tons, a Tongan inter dand ship, sank 11 miles from Celefesia Island on November 21. he was on her way from Nukualofa o Haapai with hurricane relief build rig materials, worth about $3,500.

A Pacific Navigation Co spokes man said one of the crew saw logs loating in the sea, near the ship, ben saw water coming on to the top

deck. He and others found a leaking bulkhead which they tried to plug, without success. Apparently there were eight on board, and all got away on logs. They were picked up by the Olovaha.

The Kao had been in service be tween Nukualofa and Haapai for 18 years. Her first and only master was Captain Tolati Fifita.

Oantas Cuts

Sts Holiday Fares

In these days of continually rising costs it is like a breath of fresh air to see a price actually reduced. That will soon happen with a Qantas holi day fare to Fiji. A new advance purchase excursion fare is cheaper (han the present fare—s2so return instead of $252.30 from Sydney or Brisbane.

Qantas, with lATA approval, has introduced a completely new package of fares between the two countries.

The main feature is the advance purchase excursion fare, which re places the excursion fare and the individual inclusive tour fare. The period of validity has also been ex tended—from 8-23 days to 6-50 days. It will now be possible for Australian tourists to visit Fiji on a weekend to weekend basis, which was not possible with the previous eight-day minimum.

The advance purchase provision on the excursion fare will be 35 days.

However, there will be some small increases in the Australia-Fiji fare structure. The normal economy fare rises from $187.50 to $192, and the first class fare from $262.50 to $2BB.

But the $262.50 affinity group fare will be replaced by a cheaper public group fare of $240 (no affinity re quired). There is an increase in the group inclusive fare from $216.20 to $240 with validity extended to 6-50 days. Both group fares are on a 45-day advance purchase basis.

There have been other fare in

creases in the South-West Pacific area. The Australia-PNG-NZ-Fiji- Noumea-Tahiti fares will rise by ten per cent, except for the Sydney- Papeete fare, which rises five per cent. Fares from the South-West Pacific to South-East Asia rise by five to ten per cent.

The new fares will become effec tive on April 1, subject to approval by the various governments.

Pfel Sells

Its Cargo Carriers

Farrell Lines Inc, of New York, has formally acquired the Pacific cargo services of Pacific Far East Line. The US Maritime Administra tion approved the sale of four ships and the Australian trade route for $47 million. Involved are two LASH (lighter aboard ship) ships, and two container ships, the Hawaii Bear and the New Zealand Bear.

Farrell Lines now have services from both coasts of the US to the South Pacific. Ports of call are Papeete, Pago Pago, Auckland, a Tasmanian port, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Lae, Rabaul and Kieta.

The cruise liners, Mariposa and Monterey, are not involved in the deal, and remain under PFEL flag.

Png Coaster

Runs On Reef

The Umboi, a 40-ton coastal boat owned by the PNG Lutheran Mis sion, ran aground on a reef about 40 miles from Lae in mid-November.

Strong winds and heavy seas pushed it inside the reef.

Sixteen passengers and the crew of five used life-rafts to get ashore.

They were picked up by the Vitiaze, which had sighted distress flares fired from the Umboi.

The ship started to break up in the heavy seas, and it was decided no attempts would be made to salvage it. The Umboi was built in Australia in 1946.

Tempair's Plans For

Air Niugini Service

An increasing share in the opera tion of Air Niugini’s international services will pass into the hands of PNG people under a K 2 million training programme. The pro gramme will be controlled by the British airline company, Tempair, which will operate the services with Boeing 8720 aircraft.

Tempair won the contract to sup ply the aircraft against bids by Qantas, TAA and Ansett. It will operate the weekly services from Port Moresby to Brisbane, Manila and Hong Kong starting on Feb

ruary 1. Tempair will also supply the crews.

Eventually Papua New Guineans will take over cabin staff positions, maintenance and basic engineering.

About 50 of them will be trained by Tempair under a K 2 million “wet lease” contract. The lease provides that Tempair staff will be pro gressively “dried out” as local people gain sufficient experience to take over.

Tempair will provide the aircraft, flight deck crew, cabin crew, opera tions and management staff and engineering services till local people are trained.

Missing Yacht

I understand that at the present :ime approximately 1,000 yachts are :ruising within an area of the South Pacific between Noumea, New Heb rides, Fiji, and Samoa and a large percentage of these yachtsmen look forward to your monthly news nagazine. Being aware of these facts, : riends of the Veronica thought it m excellent idea using your maga zine to request you to publish details pf the missing yacht as we feel there s a distinct possibility that the vessel nay still be afloat or the crew mem pers, Messrs Cornthwaite, Hoskings md Hay, may be marooned on some uninhabited island or reef irea.

The vessel which was a 28 ft ketch eft Gisbourne on August 16 bound : or Lyttleton in the South Island of Vew Zealand. Strong gale conditions vere being experienced in that area it the time and it is thought prob ible that the yacht capsized and the nast and spars were lost; if this is ;o the crew may have been able to nake some kind of jury rig which :ould have been sufficient for them o make headway to the north and yet not be efficient enough for them o beat back towards the coast of Vew Zealand.

We would ask all cruising yachts sailing in the areas mentioned to ceep a sharp lookout and especially, vere possible, to sail close to any minhabited islands that may be in hat part of the Pacific. There is dways the chance that these men nay still be alive and the more yachtsmen that are aware of the above facts the greater the chance pf finding them.

This lamentable tragedy has prought a great deal of anguish and fieartbreak to the families of these nen and your assistance will be greatly appreciated.

A. R. Rusden.

Auckland, NZ.