New Zealand News

Air New Zealand now has the right to enter the Australian domestic market but at the time of the airline’s latest financial announcement it was not clear just what form this right would take. “Market conditions will determine the timing and the form that will ultimately take,” said Jim McCrea. Performance in the first two months of the current year was satisfactory. The directors also noted that the international airline industry was, in general, not yet “enjoying the conditions of strong growth and satisfactory financial outcomes that can be assumed to be sustainable”. Meanwhile engineers filed notice of a one day strike and an overtime ban in protest against a company offer which they say consisted of a one-off bonus payment of 5% for a two year contract. The engineers say they want “real increases” in their wages.

Wigram Closure, Moving Costs

The Nz Cabinet has approved the Rnzaf spending of up to $NZ27.8m on capital works associated with the relocation of units from Wigram (Christchurch) to Woodbourne and Auckland. The money will be used on building new barrack blocks, renovation of existing buildings and construction of new buildings at Woodbourne (near Blenheim, upper Si) and Auckland. It comes from an estimated $NZ32m capital cost for relocating Wigram’s resources as part of the plan to close Wigram by late next year. Investigations show that the air force could save about $NZ10m a year, according to military officials.

As part of the Wigram closure, a new Air Command Hq is to be built at Whenuapai. All the Rnzaf’s ground training functions are also to be brought under a single grouping at Woodbourne. The Ground Training Wing will have a new $NZ13m two storey building whose cost is part of the Wigram relocation funding. Wigram air base was first used for military pilot training in 1917 and more than 3500 pilots earned their wings there. The Rnzaf says much of its capital spending will be offset by proceeds from the sale of Wigram but Defence officials cannot say how much Wigram will realise because some issues are out of its hands. The Christchurch City Council wants Wigram retained for civil aviation use; more than $NZ4m was spent on the Wigram runway just a few years ago. In an editorial, Christchurch’s daily newspaper, “The Press” noted: “It would be scandalous if history looked back on the decision to close Wigram as an exercise in which millions were spent to save a comparatively small sum.”

Single Aviation Market Stalls

New Zealand Minister of Transport, Maurice Williamson, says progress towards a single aviation market with Australia has stalled. The minister told the Aviation Industry Conference in Wellington recently that his Australian counterpart had told him there would be no more progress until “Australia had a win”. Mr Williamson said he had pointed out New Zealand had given an Australian airline, Ansett, access to the New Zealand market, but transport officials in Australia did not see this as reason to reciprocate.

The minister said the “issue is quite clouded… Our goal is to see it happen and we will keep the pressure on to keep progressing to that end”. He told the conference he hoped controversy about funding the Civil Aviation Authority would be resolved shortly. Although the Government did not intend to back away from its view that the industry should fund the safety regulatory agency’s costs, there was concern at the unrest about the Authority’s funding. A keynote speaker at the conference, Christopher Chataway of the British Civil Aviation Authority, said increasing Government intervention into aviation had made airlines weak. The change from public ownership to regulated private ownership made the role of regulator and management clear. It was important, he said, that regulatory agencies maintained by the industry remained free from political intervention.

Air Force Museum Gets ‘Copter

The air force museum at Wigram, Christchurch, has its first helicopter — and it’s a year newer and has more extras than the Iroquois models still in Rnzaf use. The Iroquois came from the Us Army in Germany. Wing Commander Dave Provan, the museum’s director, says a condition of the helicopter gift is that it will not be flown. The American machine was delivered to Wigram in a Rnzaf Hercules. It will be repainted and reconfigured to represent an Rnzaf Iroquois.

Wing Commander Provan also says the museum is negotiating to secure parts from the Rnzaf Aermacchi jet trainer that crashed in the far north of New Zealand late last year and is now officially written off. Extensive corrosion after the jet ditched in salt water has ruled out restoration but useful parts have been kept. The wings were being shared between the Rnzaf and the Raaf for structural testing to assist in developing structural management programmes. The Rnzaf bought 18 Aermacchi MB-339s from Italy for $NZ266m with spares in the early nineties. There are no plans to replace the wrecked jet trainer.

Nudist Beach Flight Case

A man accused of flying low over a nudist beach at the western Bay of Plenty (North Island) has been acquitted following a court hearing. Stuart Simpson, 42, a dairy farmer of Cambridge, appeared in court on a charge of breaching Civil Aviation regulations by flying over a beach at lower than 500ft. A witness told Judge David Wilson he had seen an aircraft above the beach; he also saw someone taking photographs, he said. Stuart Simpson’s counsel said his client had been on a Sunday outing and was intending to land on the beach to fish. On inspecting the beach he found it unsuitable. The prosecutor said Mr Simpson had no intention of landing when he flew along the low tide mark. The pilot, who has been flying since 1980 and has his own aircraft, said after the case the matter should never have gone to court.

Eagle Spreads Wings

Eagle Airways has bought three aircraft – a 15 seat Bandeirante and two 19 seat Metroliners — as well as employing 30 more staff. The Hamilton-based (North Island) operator of the Air New Zealand Link service says the purchase of more aircraft and employment of more staff is necessary because of increasing business. Eagle Airways chief executive Malcolm Campbell says there are now up to four Gisborne/Wellington flights and three return services daily between Rotorua and Auckland. The new Rotorua service supports those already operated by Mount Cook Airline and Air Nz. The two Metroliners cost about $NZ2.8m each.

Bag Causes Airport Scare

Wellington Airport was evacuated after a man sparked a bomb scare when he left a sports bag in the Air New Zealand terminal and went into the city to collect a car. He returned to find hundreds of passengers waiting in the airport carpark while a bomb disposal team closed in on his bag. Police Sgt Sarah Stirling said the man had acted irresponsibly — “he caused major inconvenience to hundreds of people”. The terminal was evacuated for 40 minutes and all flights stopped.

Air Nz Fined

Air New Zealand has been fined about $NZ16,600 by the United States Transportation Department for failing to tell Us travellers they would be flying on another aircraft instead of Air Nz on part of their journey. The department found the airline violated the conditions of its code sharing arrangements with Canadian International Airlines when Us customers were not told that when they flew Air Nz from Toronto or Vancouver to Auckland they would fly in a Cia aircraft to Honolulu.

Airport Considers Big Expansion

The expansion of terminal facilities at Christchurch International Airport could cost up to $NZ200m over 20 years. Planning has been going on for more than six months. The chairman of the Airport Company, Peter Leeming, says the company does not believe a second main runway will be needed before the year 2015. Work on the terminal facilities will probably start by 1997-8.

The latest financial report shows the company made an after tax profit of $NZ9.4m for the year to June 30, up 16.9% on revenue of $NZ36.6m (up 8.4%). International passengers using the airport are expected to lift 9% this financial year. In the 1993-94 year, international travellers climbed 14%. Domestic travellers increased 11% to 2.7m. International passengers numbered 720,914 in 1993-94. In 1989-90 international travellers totalled 556,263, and domestic 2.5m.

Honour Board To War Hero’s Widow

The widow of a New Zealand pilot who flew on a 1943 Dam Buster raid has received a family honour board from the Australian Medals of Service company. Flt Lieut Len Chambers who died in 1985, had been handpicked by Guy Gibson to be a “Dam Buster”. His Lancaster bomber was the third over the target and successfully dropped its bomb. Flt Lieut Chambers had made two tours of duty involving 60 missions over enemy territory. The Dam Buster flight was his 61st and last flight of the war.

His widow, Lil, was presented with the honour board by the managing director of Medals of Service, Jeff Brooks. The company was set up with the aim of preserving the war history of Australian and New Zealand servicemen and women. A total of 20,000 New Zealanders had been killed in action since 1900 and this was a way to keep their memories alive for their families, he said.

New Trans Tasman Link

Aviation history was made when a Qantas 737-300, Vh-Taf and appropriately named Courageous recently landed at Dunedin Airport, Otago Province. It was the first time a New Zealand domestic airport had conducted a trans Tasman commercial passenger flight, according to Mike Bailey, the airport company’s business development executive. The 737 brought 66 passengers from Sydney and took 115 passengers to Sydney for the Australia-New Zealand rugby match for the Bledisloe Cup (won by Australia). Dunedin Airport Ltd hopes to welcome 12 charter flights from Australia by next June. The airport company wants to see 20 charter flights in 1995-96 and another 20 in 1996-97.

Several aircraft welcomed the first Qantas flight. Noted Otago pilot Sir Tim Wallis of Wanaka performed aerobatics in his World War 2 Spitfire. Another old aircraft (once operated by Qantas) was the Pionair Dc-3 from Queenstown and the Speights Rescue helicopter.

Aircraft Groups Oppose Move

Two aircraft restoration groups have strongly opposed the possible transfer of the Museum of Transport and Technology’s aircraft collection to Auckland international airport. The Solent Preservation Society, which restored a Mk 4 Solent and the Bomber Command Association (which has restored a Lancaster) fear the aircraft would be damaged if moved. Members of both groups understand an aircraft museum could be built at the airport. Officials of the groups say many members would find the international airport too far to travel to voluntarily work on the aircraft.

Briefs

The Rnzaf and the Rnzn have been praised in the Us Senate for rescuing two Americans from a yacht between New Zealand and Tonga. The yacht, the Pilot, was one of seven abandoned in a fierce storm. The Pilot was spotted by the crew of a Rnzaf Orion. The two crew members from Maine were rescued by the naval survey ship Monowai. Senator William Cohen of Maine paid tribute to “the heroic men and women who saved these lives”. One of the Pilot’s rescued crew members said she was still trying to persuade the Us Government to recognise more formally the efforts of the New Zealand services.