BOAC Inaugeral London to Auckland Service

[Dave Homewood]

I had not realised that BOAC had started a London to Auckland airline service this early in the piece, while WWII was still being fought! From the NEW ZEALAND HERALD, 28 APRIL 1945

[Dave Homewood]

NEW AIR SERVICE

ENGLAND TO DOMINION

PROGRESS OF DEVELOPMENT

(Special Correspondent) (Recd. 11.15 p.m.) LONDON, June 20

The weekly Lancastrian air service between England and Australia is now being maintained by six aircraft. Until the supply of Lancastrians increases, and they are coming very slowly from the factory, it will have to remain a weekly service. Eventually, however, it is intended that a daily service shall be operated by the British Overseas Airways Corporation between England, Australia and New Zealand, with a flying time of 60 hours between England and New Zealand. It is not expected that this will start for some time.

Until the Avro Tudor aircraft are ready to take over, the Lancastrians will continue to be used. The Avro Tudor prototype flew for the first time last week. It will now be subjected to an exhaustive series of flight tests and, after the usual modifications have been made, orders will have to be placed for a number of aircraft to be used on Empire routes.

In the meantime, the British Overseas Airways Corporation is proceeding with plans for training 100 air crews. It is intended to have sufficient crews to keep the aircraft flying between terminal points, with landings only to refuel and change crews. Maintenance and overhaul will be done at the terminal points

Many members of the R.N.Z.A.F. who distinguished themselves in the war are being seconded to the corporation to fly on the Empire routes. One with an outstanding record who will shortly make his first flight in a Lancastrian on the England-Australia service is Flight-Lieutenant R. S. Kearns, D.S.0., D.F.C., D.F.M., of Reefton. Eventually, British Overseas Airways crews will operate along the entire route, and not only as far as Karachi, where Qantas crews now take over.

NEW ZEALAND HERALD, 21 JUNE 1945