Kiwi Regional Airlines (Hamilton, NZ) has secured additional investment ahead of its planned launch early next year. Founded by Ewan Wilson of Kiwi Travel International Airlines (Hamilton, NZ) fame, the start-up now counts travel baron Nicole Domett and 2 Cheap Cars, a used car importer and retailer, as shareholders.
"We are at the early stages of building what I believe will be a sustainable niche regional airline operation and Nicole's business acumen and experience in the travel and airline training field will play a significant role in our company’s success," Wilson said last month.
Kiwi Regional will commence certification from April onwards and, once completed, is aiming to launch before the first quarter of 2016. Capital raising continues for the purchase of new aircraft which are likely to hinge on the Jetstream 32 and Jetstream 41 types.
The start-up's planned network will be unveiled later this quarter with reports it will consider assuming several domestic routes that Air New Zealand (NZ, Auckland International) will abandon early next year as part of a route-rationalization programme.
