Kiwijet Airline, the story so far
On the 2nd May 2007, Patrick Liam Weil (from Florida, USA) floated plans for a low-cost airline, Kiwijet Airline, to begin operating flights from Christchurch this year: "New Zealand is the only country in the world that does not have a low-cost airline and that's what I do for a living. I create airlines. I've had some good luck and some bad luck, but New Zealand is exactly the correct place to do this because the geographic difficulties of getting from the North to the South Island are enormous."
Kiwijet planned launch date
December 2007.
Kiwijet Routes
Plans are to operate flights between Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin and Invercargill. Longer-term plans are to fly between Auckland-Newcastle, Christchurch-Hobart , Rotorua-Sydney and Wellington-Canberra.
Special fares
Kiwijet Airline plans to offer ‘Moonlight Special’ fares on late evening flights between Auckland and Christchurch, with passengers only being allowed to board with cabin baggage (thereby enabling the plane to transport post and parcels in the cargo hold).
No application received
Bill Sommer, a Civil Aviation Authority spokesman, said it had not received an application for an operating certificate for Kiwijet Airline.
Full name
Kiwijet Airline Company Limited.
Kiwijet Airline fleet
Kiwijet Airline plans to operate Boeing 737-300.
Kiwijet Airline's CEO
Patrick L. Weil; who has acted as consultant to Easyjet in the UK and was Director of Customer Service for the USA no frills airline, Air Tran Airways prior to its merger with Valujet Airlines.
Is Kiwijet Airline a low-cost carrier?
Although it plans to offer low fares, it will provide free beer and wine.
Kiwijet Airline's owners
Three unidentified investors are funding Kiwijet Airlines to the tune of US$20 million, and hoping to buy the ground equipment and operating certificate of Jetconnect (Qantas' New Zeland operation). Weil believes Kiwijet's chances of purchasing Jetconnect would improve if the takeover bid by Airline Partners Australia is successful.
Mr Weil would not divulge who Kiwijet Airline's three American and Japanese backers were, but said that one worked in the USA entertainment industry.
Did Kiwijet copy Air New Zealand's plans?
Air New Zealand's spokesman, David Jamieson told staff that although there was no evidence of a leak, "it was important they keep information commercially confidential. We found it quite coincidental that Kiwijet came up with some ideas very similar to things we have quietly been working on."
Kiwijet planned launch date
December 2007.
Kiwijet Routes
Plans are to operate flights between Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin and Invercargill. Longer-term plans are to fly between Auckland-Newcastle, Christchurch-Hobart , Rotorua-Sydney and Wellington-Canberra.
Special fares
Kiwijet Airline plans to offer ‘Moonlight Special’ fares on late evening flights between Auckland and Christchurch, with passengers only being allowed to board with cabin baggage (thereby enabling the plane to transport post and parcels in the cargo hold).
No application received
Bill Sommer, a Civil Aviation Authority spokesman, said it had not received an application for an operating certificate for Kiwijet Airline.
Full name
Kiwijet Airline Company Limited.
Kiwijet Airline fleet
Kiwijet Airline plans to operate Boeing 737-300.
Kiwijet Airline's CEO
Patrick L. Weil; who has acted as consultant to Easyjet in the UK and was Director of Customer Service for the USA no frills airline, Air Tran Airways prior to its merger with Valujet Airlines.
Is Kiwijet Airline a low-cost carrier?
Although it plans to offer low fares, it will provide free beer and wine.
Kiwijet Airline's owners
Three unidentified investors are funding Kiwijet Airlines to the tune of US$20 million, and hoping to buy the ground equipment and operating certificate of Jetconnect (Qantas' New Zeland operation). Weil believes Kiwijet's chances of purchasing Jetconnect would improve if the takeover bid by Airline Partners Australia is successful.
Mr Weil would not divulge who Kiwijet Airline's three American and Japanese backers were, but said that one worked in the USA entertainment industry.
Did Kiwijet copy Air New Zealand's plans?
Air New Zealand's spokesman, David Jamieson told staff that although there was no evidence of a leak, "it was important they keep information commercially confidential. We found it quite coincidental that Kiwijet came up with some ideas very similar to things we have quietly been working on."