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Passengers on the inaugural Kiwi Travel International Flight KIC 19 walk across the KSA tarmac to a rather confused 'welcome' upon their arrival in Sydney. Qantas industrial problems and lack of an aerobridge however did not dim the enthusiasm of those involved in this important event. (Peter Clark)
Airline Profile — Kiwi Travel Int’l Airlines
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Kiwi Travel International Airlines New Zealana’s New International Airline Proves That Kiwis Can Fly
August 23 1995 saw New Zealand’s second international airline come of age and commence its first scheduled international service.
Up until then Kiwi Travel Air Charters Ltd had concentrated on operating Sunday charter services to several destinations in Australia from Hamilton in the Waikato. The midday departure of flight KIC 19 to Sydney saw Kiwi Travel International Airlines finally take on the open skies policy of the Tasman. The brainchild of Ewan Wilson, the fledgling company began services in June 1994 using a chartered DC-8 to service various Field Days from Auckland and Wellington. Ewan soon decided to expand these charters and in July of that year decided to operate four charter flights to Brisbane from Hamilton during the August/September school holidays.
The plan was to use a leased Polynesian Airlines Boeing 737-300. At about the same time Polynesian Airlines had been experiencing financial problems and pulled out of the deal just ten days before the first flight. A last minute scout around found Air New Zealand didn’t have any spare aircraft and Qantas proved too expensive. After talking to the people involved with the failed Invercargill charter flights, they suggested contacting Air Nauru. By the Wednesday evening a wet leased Boeing 737-400 had been confirmed to operate the new charters on the following Sunday. Air Nauru changed its Sunday scheduled departure from Auckland to Monday, to allow the aircraft to be here for every Sunday and offered a competitive deal.
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