New Zealand News

Ken McLean, manager of the new Airways Christchurch centre says the original plan was to have one national air traffic control replacing four air traffic control centres. It was finally decided to have two principal centres with a third smaller centre at the Royal New Zealand Air Force base at Ohakea (lower North Island) to cater for military needs.

Wellington’s ATC centre was closed and staff relocated, with the new centres at Christchurch and Auckland. The Christ- church centre controls airspace south of New Plymouth. Either centre can, however, control the whole country in an emergency.

Rnzaf Looks at Closer Ties With Australia

The RNZAF might open navigation training to its Australian counterpart.

New Zealand’s Minister of Defence, Warren Cooper, has had talks in Cairns and he has also raised the possibility of New Zealand joining Australia and leasing Lockheed C-130 Hercules as a replacement option for ageing aircraft. Mr Cooper said combined navigation training was a “more likely avenue” for a combined approach. Joint air training “doesn’t look a starter at this stage,” he was quoted as saying.

It was thought Australian pilots could come to New Zealand for advanced training on the RNZAF’s new Aermacchi 339s. Eighteen 339s will be based at Ohakea but Mr Cooper feels that New Zealand would need closer to 40 aircraft to get into combined pilot training.

The RNZAF uses Fokker Friendships based at Wigram, near Christchurch, for navigator training courses. It is understood money has been set aside to fund the aircraft only until about now. Keen to cement closer defence relations with Australia, Mr Cooper plans to get one major project off the ground annually. Air-to-air refuelling was a project under study. He has hinted that Australia might provide New Zealand with such a facility on a demand basis.

Another issue needing addressing is the replacement of both nations’ Hercules fleets. Officials in the Ministry of Defence here are expected to raise Hercules leasing with their Australian counterparts. New Zealand has five C-130Hs, bought new between 1965 and 1967 while the RAAF operates 12 C-130Es and 12 C-130Hs. The former are candidates for replacement through the coming decade. A new Hercules today costs about $US36m.

Air Terminal Work Costs $nz23M

Passengers using Auckland international airport can see exactly where their increased departure fee is going The fee, now $NZ20-up $4-will pay for the $NZ23. 5m expansion of the international terminal. Construction is about to start. Work should finish next February under a fast track project designed to limit inconvenience.

The terminal arrival and departure concourse will be extended by 50%, allowing airbridge access for 10 aircraft (now six). The project is the first stage of a $NZ300m, 20 year development plan which provides for as many as 21 gates by the year 2000. Twenty three international airlines serve Auckland with the terminal handling almost three million passengers yearly. John Goulter, chief executive of the airport company, says Saturday and Tuesday mornings are the main peak times when passengers on a number of aircraft “will need to be bused to and from the terminal”.

Singapore Flight a First for Chc

Christchurch is about to get its first nonstop air service to South East Asia.

Singapore Airlines which serves Christchurch on Mondays and Fridays will operate its nonstop 747 flights to Singapore on Wednesdays from August 1 The service, subject to government approval, will effectively cut three hours from the travel time to Singapore via Auckland and also provide passengers boarding at Christchurch with their first one stop service to London. The airline’s decision to increase its southern presence when British Airways, Thai International and Air New Zealand have withdrawn flights through Christchurch (pop 350,000) has been praised by travel industry representatives.

Deer Stalker Seeks Aircraft Wreck

A Christchurch deer stalker is convinced he can find the wreckage of a de Havilland Dragonfly lost 30 years ago in the far south of the South Island.

Ian Reinke says up to 12 searchers could be needed to try to find the Dragonfly, which carried four passengers and pilot. Brian Chadwick. The area needed to be searched was difficult to reach, Mr Reinke says, and covered in dense bush. The prime area near Mt Aspiring has been photographed to further assist searchers.

Fresh Air Flights

Air New Zealand and other international carriers are closely watching a trial by Cathay Pacific banning all smoking on its Australian and Canadian flights from Hong Kong. Smoking is now banned on all New Zealand, Australian and most United States domestic flights.

Cathay’s ban is believed to be the first all-aircraft no-smoking system on long haul international flights. Cathay Pacific operates non-smoking flights in SE Asia. It introduced the non-smoking long distance international flights in April.

Brierley Stake in Air NZ Cut

Brierley Investments’ stake in Air New Zealand has dropped back to 42. 5% after the expiry of agreements with Qantas, its fellow shareholder in the airline.

Brierley has told the New Zealand Stock Exchange that it no longer had a relevant interest in an additional 15% of Air New Zealand, part of the Qantas shareholding. Brierley has a direct shareholding in Air New Zealand of 42. 5% but its relevant interest had been deemed to be 57. 5% because of agreements with Qantas.

The agreements have involved Qantas underwriting the level of dividends Brierley received on its investment in Air New Zealand and a mutual commitment that each would hold at least 15% of the airline until March 31 this year.

Brierley’s extra relevant interest was in 63 million of the airline’s ‘B’ category shares. Qantas Investments (New Zealand) is the registered owner of these shares. They are part of a total Qantas shareholding of 10% acquired when a Brierley-Qantas consortium bought Air New Zealand from the New Zealand Government in late 1988. The consortium also included American Airlines and Japan Airlines. JAL still has its 5% shareholding but AA sold the last of its interest to Brierley last February.

Rnzaf Base Closed the Rnzaf

has closed its base at Te Rapa, Hamilton, with the loss of 43 jobs.

Te Rapa, the air force’s sole holding and distribution point for bulk supplies, is the first air force base to close since the training station at Taieri, near Dunedin, was closed in 1959. Te Rapa will be returned to the government from October 1.

Meanwhile, the mayor of Christchurch, Ms Vicki Buck, used the occasion of the RNZAF’s annual charter parade to pledge the city’s support for the retention of the Wigram air force base. She said the city council would offer its services and skills to ensure that Wigram survived. The mayor referred to Budget driven decisions last year to shift the flying training operations from Wigram. She said this was in the face of air force studies that showed Wigram was the best place in New Zealand for flying training.

The Wigram base commander, Group Captain Gordon Wood, acknowledged community concerns for the future of the base and said that for nearly a year base personnel had had uncertain and difficult times.

Inflight Duty Free Service Award

Air New Zealand’s inflight duty free service has been voted the best in the world by an American magazine Onboard Services.

The award, given for the overall quality and range of products and supporting inflight video and brochures, was announced at Orlando, Florida. The judges were particularly impressed with the service’s exclusive Pacific Collection-a range of items inspired by the South Pacific.