Donald Moreton "Don" KendellAM was the founder and Chairman of Kendell Airlines, now a part of Regional Express Airlines. His love of flying led to the creation of Kendell Airlines and its continuing success.
Personal life
As a small boy on his parents' wheat and sheep property in south western New South Wales, aviation held a fascination for Don. He recalled that as a seven-year-old he ran barefoot for nearly a mile through paddocks full of Saffron Thistle just to watch a biplane take off. He attended Geelong College after a period at Osborne Bush School but returned to his parents' property near Lockhart, New South Wales, to help during a drought in 1946. But the flying bug was strong and in 1949 at the age of 19, Don took flying lessons in Wagga Wagga and soon obtained his licence. After a period in the Citizens Air Force, successful barnstorming trips around western Victoria flying Tiger Moths and a round Australia odyssey looking for flying work, Don set off for England in 1955. There he sat for and passed his commercial pilots licence and started working for British European Airways flying Herons, DC3s and later turboprop Viscounts. While in the United Kingdom he met and married Eilish Burke. He returned to Australia and farming in 1959 but the aviation bug soon took hold again and in 1965 he and his wife moved to Wagga Wagga to become partners in a small flying business. After buying out their partners, Don and Eilish Kendell set up Premiair Aviation with two Piper Cherokee aircraft. The company was incorporated in 1967 and the name changed to Kendell Airlines in 1971. Since then Kendell has grown steadily despite setbacks caused by rural downturns and the oil crisis. In a business notorious for a very high failure rate, Kendell Airlines prospered and grew while many other companies came and went. Don Kendell's individual style and integrity earned him enormous respect and admiration throughout the airline industry. He remained firmly committed to regional Australia and resisted attempts to move the airlines head office from Wagga Wagga. He had a simple philosophy: Offer a reliable, frequent service at the best possible price. He believed that there is no room for sentiment in the airline businessif a route does not pay then you cease to operate it. It is a yardstick that stood him in good stead. In 1992, Don Kendell was made a member of the Order of Australia in the Queen's Birthday Honours for his services to aviation. In 2001, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Business from Charles Sturt University. In June 1997, he had retired as Kendell Airline's managing director but had remained as the non-executive chairman for the airline including Ansett's two other subsidiaries, Aeropelican and Skywest Airlines, until 31 December 2000.
Death
Don Kendell died on 14 October 2001, in Wagga Wagga, at the age of 71 after a battle with cancer. He is survived by his wife Eilish, two sons, Guy and Miles, and two daughters, Mary and Sarah ; as well as his grandchildren Jennifer, Ben, Audrey, Fraser, Bronte, Shani, Adam, Samir, Michael and Max.
