Airline's founder sent warning note

By Bernard Orsman

Kiwi Air founder Ewan Wilson has been told by the Companies Office that he should be careful not to get too involved in the new charter airline K2000.

Last year Mr Wilson was banned for five years from being a director, or from taking part in the day-to-day management of any company, because of his role in the mismanagement of Kiwi Air.

After Mr Wilson popped up this week as a consultant to the latest international "nuts and cola" airline, the Companies Office wrote a letter reminding him what he could and could not do for K2000.

Mr Wilson said yesterday that K2000 was paying him as a consultant for 10 months and he was working three or four days a week sourcing aircraft options and giving advice on competition and media issues.

He said he had acted as a consultant for an Auckland company, The Little Kiwi Management Company, on a range of projects for the past six months.

"It would appear the bureaucrats in Wellington have very little to do other than to chase their own tails.

"I'm a consultant. The Companies Office is going to have to live with that and move on."

A solicitor with the Companies Office in Auckland, Guy Caro, said not being a director was a cut and dried issue. "You are either on the company register as a director or you are not."

But not being involved in the management of a company was not quite so precise - it basically meant steering clear of the day-to-day involvement of running a company.

Mr Caro said the Companies Office was not investigating Mr Wilson, because nothing had been brought to its attention indicating he was in breach of the ban.

The penalties for breaching the ban are a fine of up to $200,000 or five years' imprisonment.