High flier invests as shareholder in new Kiwi airline

Kiwi Regional Airlines announced today that Nicole Domett is a new investor.

Nicole is a director and shareholder of the highly successful Sir George Seymour and Travel Careers & Training Limited which is one of New Zealand’s largest and most successful private tertiary education providers with 6 campuses throughout the country.

Nicole Domett’s shareholding in the new airline is currently 22.73% but KRA CEO Ewan Wilson would not be drawn on the investment amount.

Domett has the option of appointing one director to the yet to be formed board of KRA.

Wilson said today: “Nicole has spent over 30 years in the travel and airline training industry and in my opinion is one of the most innovative and successful businesspeople in New Zealand. 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”.

KRA will announce its route network at the end of the first quarter 2015. The certification process will start at the beginning of the second quarter of 2015 and the airline hopes to be flying before the first quarter of 2016.

Capital raising continues for the purchase of new aircraft.

Last week KRA announced its first investor, 2 Cheap Cars, a used car importer and retailer, which rated as the second fastest growing company in the country on this year’s Deloitte Fast 50. It is projecting $40 million in sales this financial year.

The establishment of KRA comes 20 years since Wilson set up New Zealand’s “nuts and cola” airline Kiwi Air which revolutionised trans-Tasman flights for New Zealanders.

Air New Zealand plans to scrap a number of regional services around the country including Kaitaia, Whakatane and Westport services from April. Whangarei to Wellington, Taupo to Wellington and Palmerston North to Nelson services will also be scrapped and Hamilton to Auckland will be gone from February 2016.

Kiwi Regional Airlines CEO Ewan Wilson 021 27666 44