Kiwi International Air Lines

Ghost Corp Apparel — resurrecting iconic corporate ghosts.

Born in Newark, New Jersey, Kiwi International Air Lines began flying on September 21, 1992. Founded by former Eastern Air Lines employees, it made employee ownership part of the pitch and used the flightless New Zealand bird as a knowing mascot for aviation people temporarily grounded by the industry. Its headquarters occupied One Hemisphere Center near Newark International Airport.

Kiwi launched with refurbished Boeing 727-200s serving Newark, Atlanta, Chicago Midway, and Orlando. The formula was cheerfully contradictory: low fares, comparatively generous legroom, and meals with more ambition than the usual discount-carrier tray. It was the kind of upstart that tried to make an airplane feel a little less like a flying waiting room.

Financial turbulence arrived quickly. Kiwi entered Chapter 11 on September 30, 1996, suspended scheduled flights that October, and resumed limited scheduled service in January 1997. Edwards-Wasatch Enterprises, led by Dr. Charles Edwards, offered $16.5 million to buy the carrier in 1997. A second bankruptcy filing followed on March 23, 1999; flight operations ceased the next day after the FAA revoked its operating authority.

Our Kiwi International Air Lines collection celebrates Newark hustle, employee-built optimism, 727 swagger, and the purple-and-blue spirit of an airline that dared to put a flightless bird on the tail and send it skyward.