Briefly
p. 63 · Read in the full issue
• Fiji and Tonga have sig ned a bilateral air service agreement based on the Ber muda concept of “fair and
equal opportunity” to both
contracting parties. Equal and reciprocal rights are given to both countries, with the pro viso that, for the time being, Air Pacific operates no less than three scheduled services a week to Tonga and on to Auckland to meet the needs of the Tongan travelling public.
The proviso was inserted at the Tongans’ request. Air Pacific already operates three return services a week be tween Fiji and Auckland, via Fua’amotu. This frequency is increased in peak periods. • The Tonga Government has sold five of its ships, used in inter-island runs for $39 500. Mr Hale Vete, proprietor of Talieva Theatre paid $3O 000 for the biggest of the five, the Hifofua. Mr ’Uliti Uata, people’s representative for Ha’apai in the Legislative Assembly, bought the Pakeina for $6 000. Mr Tualau Latu, president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints bought the other three, the Ulufonua for $1 500, and the Fanga’i lifuka and Funualei for $1 000 each.
They will be replaced with ships which are more efficient.
• The Fiji Marine Depart ment intends to find out whether sail is cheaper than power by building a 33 m motor schooner. It will then know if ships equipped with sail will cut fuel consumption, which is a high cost item in in ter-island shipping. The two masted Bermuda-rigged ship will be built in the govern ment shipyard at Walu Bay, Suva. Initially there will be an additional cost of about $3O 000 because of the cost of masts, rigging and sails. But the Marine Department ex pects modern sailing gear will eliminate the need for extra crew. • Air Nungaru Corp oration, recently formed by the Gilbert Islands Govern ment, is taking over the na tional air service from Air Pacific. It will run services to outlying islands, such as the Phoenix group and Christmas Island, with chartered aircraft. Air Tungaru is also taking over the handling of in ternational air travel book ings from Air Pacific. • Air Pacific plans to add a third jet aircraft to its fleet this year, and may also re place the three-engined Trislanders in Fiji internal services. The airline’s two BAC Ills are flying to capacity, and a third aircraft is needed to help on the regional routes. Planes under consideration for local ser
vices are the Skyvan and the Twin-Otter. The Skyvan, built in Britain, carries 20 passengers, and the Twin-Ot ter, made in Canada is a short take-off landing aircraft (STOL) with room for 20 passengers. • The South Pacific Air Transport Council is looking at a new method of raising money to help Nadi airport pay its way a levy on aircraft using the four million square miles of airspace con trolled from the airport. This extends from Samoa to Nor folk Island and from New Caledonia to the Cook Is lands. Aircraft using the space would be levied according to mileage and weight. The esti mated cost of running the air port in 1978 is expected to be $6.5 million. Landing fees are expected to provide about $2.5 million, passenger ser vice charges will yield about $4OO 000 and concession ren tals about $1 million. There will be other revenue from miscellaneous sources, but not enough to foot the annual bill hence the levy proposal. • Karlander from January is extending its Australian- Pacific Islands services to take in Tahiti. Every four weeks there will be a service from Melbourne and Sydney to Noumea, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Tahiti. The ships for the service are the Dia mond Star, Duke Star and Five Star. • The joint Polynesian Airlines-Air New Zealand air service is expected to start in February, using a Boeing 737 chartered from the NZ Na tional Airways Corporation.
Negotiations between Western Samoa and New Zealand about the service to link the two countries have been going on for about two years. • The UK, Nauru, Australian and New Zealand governments have given more than SA9OO 000 for a new air port terminal and hangar at Bonriki in the Gilberts. The terminal building will have separate wings for arrivals and departures, rooms for customs and immigration pro cessing, a VIP lounge, snack bar, toilets and open space for the public, car park, a dis tance measuring equipment office, and a new control tower. Work started in August and should be finished by April, 1978. • Benson and Hedges (NZ) Ltd is negotiating to build a factory in Tonga to employ 20 people, and produce more
than 70 million cigarettes and 24 000 kg of roll-your-own tobacco a year for local sale.
Benson and Hedges will also experiment with growing tobacco in Tonga. • A Baron aircraft, op erated by Solair, was saved by the skill of its pilot when it skidded badly on landing at Marau airfield in the Solomons recently. No one was hurt but the plane was damaged when, to stop it run ning over the end of the run way, the pilot swerved and slowed it down. The cause of the accident was algae grow ing on the runway which becomes very slippery in wet periods. This is now being sprayed with chemicals to prevent similar accidents. • The Wong Shipping Co, of Fiji, has bought the Belama, 254 tonnes, from the Solomon Islands Government. The Fiji Marine Department immedi ately chartered her for three months to help move the large number of people who wished to travel between Rotuma and Viti Levu during the Christmas-New Year period, and to carry children to school for the start of the 1978 school year. The Belama was also used as a back-up for the Kaunitoni from Suva to the Lau Islands during the peak Christmas-New Year traffic period. The Wong fleet now numbers five, Belama, Coral Princess, Broome, Evelyn and Adi Talei. • The operating profit of Newspapers of Fiji Ltd, pub lishers of the Fiji Sun, fell by $34 361, or 32.8% in the year ended September, 1977. In the same period Fiji Times and Herald Ltd, publishers of The Fiji Times and other newspaper, had a trading profit of $l7B 000. • Papua New Guinea’s newest multi-million dollar airport is nothing but “an im ported blunder from Australia” an air charter ex ecutive claimed in December.
Mr Lolong Kiapin told of the problems, expense and ineffi ciencies which have arisen from the siting of Nadzab Air port, constructed with a gift of Australian funds to serve the city of Lae. Mr Kiapin is secretary of Co-Air, a charter operator which is extensively financed by Papua New Gui nean shareholders. It is based in Lae, and village people coming into town or sending their produce by air from remote areas form a large part of the company’s operations.