Kiwi Travel International Airlines facts for kids
![]() A Boeing 737 of Kiwi Travel
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Founded | 1994 |
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Commenced operations | 1995 |
Ceased operations | 1996 |
Hubs | Hamilton International Airport |
Fleet size | 3 |
Destinations | 10 |
Headquarters | Hamilton, New Zealand |
Key people | Ewan Wilson |
Kiwi Travel International Airlines was a special kind of airline from New Zealand. It was known as a discount airline. This means it offered flights at lower prices. Kiwi Travel flew both planned flights and special, unplanned trips. These flights went from New Zealand to places like Australia, Samoa, and Tonga.
The airline did not own all its planes. Instead, it borrowed airplanes from other companies. Over time, Kiwi Travel used different types of planes. These included the Boeing 727, Boeing 737, Boeing 757, and Airbus A320. Kiwi Travel was one of the first airlines to offer low-cost flights.
Contents
The Rise and Fall of Kiwi Travel
Kiwi Travel International Airlines started flying in 1995. It quickly became popular because of its cheaper flights. Its main base was at Hamilton International Airport in New Zealand. The airline flew to 10 different places.
Competition in the Skies
In December 1995, a big airline called Air New Zealand started a new discount airline. This new airline was named Freedom Air. Freedom Air was created to compete directly with Kiwi Travel. This meant more choices for travelers, but also tougher times for Kiwi Travel.
Why Kiwi Travel Stopped Flying
The competition from Freedom Air became very strong. It was hard for Kiwi Travel to keep up. Because of this tough competition, Kiwi Travel International Airlines stopped flying in September 1996. It had only been flying for about a year.
A New Beginning
Even though Kiwi Travel stopped, its story didn't quite end there. Ewan Wilson was the person in charge of Kiwi Travel. He was the former CEO. Later, he became involved in starting a new airline. This new airline was called Kiwi Regional Airlines.
Images for kids
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Kiwi Boeing 737-300 at Perth Airport
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Kiwi Airbus A320 at Perth Airport