Kiwi Travel International Airlines

Charter services

The airline began as Kiwi Travel Air Charters in July 1994, operating weekly charters between Hamilton, 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.

Competition, route expansion and fleet changes

By the end of 1995, Air New Zealand 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 United Kingdom based company Air 2000, later replaced by a Boeing 737. Freedom Air also operated a Boeing 737. Kiwi added a second aircraft, an Airbus A320, and expanded its network to include Christchurch and the Australian cities of Melbourne and Perth. By September 1996, trans-Tasman fares reached historic lows of $199 for return tickets between Melbourne/Christchurch and Melbourne/Hamilton.