Kiwi To Resume Flights This Month

Kiwi International Inc. said it will resume scheduled air service beginning Jan. 20 and will rehire 450 to 550 employees, or about half of its previous work force.

Closely held Kiwi, which filed for bankruptcy protection from its creditors in September, said it will provide daily flights between Newark, N.J.; Chicago; Atlanta; and West Palm Beach, Fla.

Jerry Murphy, Kiwi’s chief executive and president, said the airline is offering one-way, unrestricted fares for as low as $79 until Jan. 31.

“The past 90 days have been the most difficult of my life,” Murphy said.

Kiwi stopped regular flights on Oct. 15 after it couldn’t find financing to continue operating. The Newark-based carrier’s survival was in doubt until late November, when it got a $2.5 million loan from Dr. Charles Edwards, a Baltimore surgeon.

Kiwi later received a $1 million loan from Wasatch International Corp., of Boynton Beach, Fla.

The airline at first said it wanted to be flying for Christmas, but wasn’t able to reach agreements with its vendors in time to take off for the prime holiday period.