Kiwi Travel International Airlines
Encyclopedia
Kiwi Travel International Airlines was a New Zealand
based airline
which pioneered discount flights between secondary airports in Australia
and New Zealand in the mid 1990s. The airline was established by Ewan Wilson and several associates. Ewan Wilson served as CEO and was later convicted on five counts of fraud. The Securities Commission went further and banned Wilson for a period of five years from holding a Directorship or Senior Management position. at the time the Commissioner took the unusual step of publicly announcing that Wilson acted without moral regard.
, New Zealand and Brisbane
, Australia, using a leased Air Nauru
Boeing 737-400
. In December 1994, charters were operated to Brisbane, Tonga
and Western Samoa. The network was expanded in April 1995 to include Queensland
coastal cities, including the Gold Coast
, Cairns, Townsville and Rockhampton
. The last charter flight was operated on 27 August 1995, following the commencement of scheduled services.
using a leased Boeing 727
-200 on 23 August 1995. The 727 aircraft was operated on behalf of Kiwi by AvAtlantic of the United States who also held the Air Operator's Certificate on behalf of the airline. Flights were operated from the New Zealand cities of Hamilton and Dunedin
. Due to the short runways at these airports the aircraft could only take on limited fuel due to weight restrictions and needed to land in Auckland
and Christchurch
respectively to take on more fuel before making the trans-Tasman
crossing. The airline offered full economy services as well as no frills "Peanuts and Cola"-class fares.
had established Freedom Air
via its subsidiary Mount Cook Airline
and operated in direct competition with Kiwi, offering the same routes and a similar fare structure. In early 1996, Kiwi replaced its Boeing 727 with a leased Boeing 757
from the UK
-based company Air 2000
, later replaced by a Boeing 737. Freedom Air also operated a Boeing 737. Kiwi also added a second aircraft, an Airbus A320
, and expanded its network to include Christchurch
and the Australian city of Melbourne
. By September 1996, trans-Tasman fares reached historic lows of $199 for return tickets between Melbourne/Christchurch and Melbourne/Hamilton.
Both Kiwi and Freedom operated with ad-hoc liveries based on those of their lessors; Kiwi used a stylised Kiwi bird
, while Freedom Air used a stylised sun.
were stranded. In Brisbane, the company's Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 were taken by Airservices Australia
in lieu of unpaid aviation fees. They were eventually returned to their owners.
Freedom Air
ceased operations in March 2008, with its routes being taken over by its parent company, Air New Zealand
. Air New Zealand stopped all international flights out of Hamilton as of mid April 2009. Flights from Dunedin have been reduced to a seasonal basis.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
based airline
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
which pioneered discount flights between secondary airports in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and New Zealand in the mid 1990s. The airline was established by Ewan Wilson and several associates. Ewan Wilson served as CEO and was later convicted on five counts of fraud. The Securities Commission went further and banned Wilson for a period of five years from holding a Directorship or Senior Management position. at the time the Commissioner took the unusual step of publicly announcing that Wilson acted without moral regard.
Charter services
The airline started out as Kiwi Travel Air Charters in July 1994, operating weekly charters between HamiltonHamilton, New Zealand
Hamilton is the centre of New Zealand's fourth largest urban area, and Hamilton City is the country's fourth largest territorial authority. Hamilton is in the Waikato Region of the North Island, approximately south of Auckland...
, New Zealand and Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Australia, using a leased Air Nauru
Air Nauru
Our Airline is the national airline of the Republic of Nauru. It operates scheduled international services to other Pacific islands and Australia. Its main base is Nauru International Airport...
Boeing 737-400
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
. In December 1994, charters were operated to Brisbane, Tonga
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
and Western Samoa. The network was expanded in April 1995 to include Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
coastal cities, including the Gold Coast
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
, Cairns, Townsville and Rockhampton
Rockhampton
Rockhampton can refer to:* Rockhampton, Queensland is a city in Queensland, Australia* Rockhampton City, Queensland, a suburb of Rockhampton, Queensland* Electoral district of Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia...
. The last charter flight was operated on 27 August 1995, following the commencement of scheduled services.
Scheduled flights
Following the issue of the necessary Government permits, Kiwi Travel International Airlines commenced scheduled flights between Hamilton and SydneySydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
using a leased Boeing 727
Boeing 727
The Boeing 727 is a mid-size, narrow-body, three-engine, T-tailed commercial jet airliner, manufactured by Boeing. The Boeing 727 first flew in 1963, and for over a decade more were built per year than any other jet airliner. When production ended in 1984 a total of 1,832 aircraft had been produced...
-200 on 23 August 1995. The 727 aircraft was operated on behalf of Kiwi by AvAtlantic of the United States who also held the Air Operator's Certificate on behalf of the airline. Flights were operated from the New Zealand cities of Hamilton and Dunedin
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
. Due to the short runways at these airports the aircraft could only take on limited fuel due to weight restrictions and needed to land in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
and Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
respectively to take on more fuel before making the trans-Tasman
Tasman Sea
The Tasman Sea is the large body of water between Australia and New Zealand, approximately across. It extends 2,800 km from north to south. It is a south-western segment of the South Pacific Ocean. The sea was named after the Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman, the first recorded European...
crossing. The airline offered full economy services as well as no frills "Peanuts and Cola"-class fares.
Competition, route expansion and fleet changes
By the end of 1995, Air New ZealandAir New Zealand
Air New Zealand Limited is the national airline and flag carrier of New Zealand. Based in Auckland, New Zealand, the airline operates scheduled passenger flights to 26 domestic destinations and 24 international destinations in 15 countries across Asia, Europe, North America and Oceania, and is...
had established Freedom Air
Freedom Air
Freedom Air was Air New Zealand Group's low-cost airline which operated from December 1995 to March 2008. It ran scheduled passenger services from New Zealand to Australia and Fiji and charter services within New Zealand...
via its subsidiary Mount Cook Airline
Mount Cook Airline
Mount Cook Airline is an airline based in Christchurch, New Zealand. It is wholly owned by Air New Zealand and operates scheduled services throughout the country under the Air New Zealand Link brand...
and operated in direct competition with Kiwi, offering the same routes and a similar fare structure. In early 1996, Kiwi replaced its Boeing 727 with a leased Boeing 757
Boeing 757
The Boeing 757 is a mid-size, narrow-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Passenger versions of the twinjet have a capacity of 186 to 289 persons and a maximum range of , depending on variant and cabin configuration...
from the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
-based company Air 2000
Air 2000
Air 2000 was a British charter airline that operated for 17 years between 1987 and 2004. The airline was renamed as First Choice Airways in 2004 which lasted until TUI Travel PLC merged with First Choice Holidays PLC in 2008 and as a result First Choice Airways was merged with Thomsonfly to create...
, later replaced by a Boeing 737. Freedom Air also operated a Boeing 737. Kiwi also added a second aircraft, an Airbus A320
Airbus A320
The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
, and expanded its network to include Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
and the Australian city of Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. By September 1996, trans-Tasman fares reached historic lows of $199 for return tickets between Melbourne/Christchurch and Melbourne/Hamilton.
Both Kiwi and Freedom operated with ad-hoc liveries based on those of their lessors; Kiwi used a stylised Kiwi bird
Kiwi
Kiwi are flightless birds endemic to New Zealand, in the genus Apteryx and family Apterygidae.At around the size of a domestic chicken, kiwi are by far the smallest living ratites and lay the largest egg in relation to their body size of any species of bird in the world...
, while Freedom Air used a stylised sun.
Financial troubles and liquidation
Following intense competition with Freedom Air and a series of financial difficulties, Kiwi Travel International Airlines went into voluntary liquidation on 9 September 1996. Passengers on both sides of the Tasman SeaTasman Sea
The Tasman Sea is the large body of water between Australia and New Zealand, approximately across. It extends 2,800 km from north to south. It is a south-western segment of the South Pacific Ocean. The sea was named after the Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman, the first recorded European...
were stranded. In Brisbane, the company's Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 were taken by Airservices Australia
Airservices Australia
Airservices Australia is an Australian Government agency, responsible for providing safe and environmentally sound air traffic control management and related airside services to the aviation industry within the Australian Flight Information Region...
in lieu of unpaid aviation fees. They were eventually returned to their owners.
Freedom Air
Freedom Air
Freedom Air was Air New Zealand Group's low-cost airline which operated from December 1995 to March 2008. It ran scheduled passenger services from New Zealand to Australia and Fiji and charter services within New Zealand...
ceased operations in March 2008, with its routes being taken over by its parent company, Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand Limited is the national airline and flag carrier of New Zealand. Based in Auckland, New Zealand, the airline operates scheduled passenger flights to 26 domestic destinations and 24 international destinations in 15 countries across Asia, Europe, North America and Oceania, and is...
. Air New Zealand stopped all international flights out of Hamilton as of mid April 2009. Flights from Dunedin have been reduced to a seasonal basis.
Further reading
- Wilson, Ewan: Dogfight: the inside story of the Kiwi Airlines collapse. Auckland: Howling at the Moon, 1996. ISBN 0-9583568-2-3.