New Kiwi airline buys first plane
New Zealand’s latest airline startup has inked an agreement to take delivery of its first aircraft, and plans to start flying in September.
Kiwi Regional Airlines said it has signed a sales and purchase agreement for a Saab 340A plane from Polish airline Sprint Air.
The 36-seater aircraft is "a highly reliable and efficient commuter airliner," a company statement said.
The carrier will fly daily from Dunedin to Queenstown, said chief executive Ewan Wilson.
Fares for the route will be $134 one way, with an extra $20 for checked baggage.
Wilson, who was also the founder of now defunct Kiwi Air, said the airline’s corporate headquarters and crew base would be in Hamilton.
A three person maintenance crew is also being considered for Dunedin.
Wilson decided to establish a new regional airline following the announcement Air New Zealand was scrapping several regional routes such as Palmerston North to Nelson and Hamilton to Auckland, due to big operating losses.
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