A strong Maori and Pacific profile and being chosen as the Airline of the Year by the leading international industry publication are just two of the reasons Flight Service manager Salesi Lelaulu calls himself a proud Air New Zealander.
When Salesi Lelaulu was asked to be part of a staff kapa haka group to perform as Air New Zealand launched its first direct flight to San Francisco five years ago, he thought it would merely be a one-off.
“They had originally planned to hire a Maori group, but there were issues in terms of travel permits for some of them, so they decided to approach staff knowing there wouldn’t be problems,” recalls the 46-year-old.
As a Samoan, he was also wary of performing another culture, but enjoyed it so much, he and the group are always in demand at any such ceremony.
“It was a real buzz, but we knew we could do better. So we got some voice coaching, got more serious about the songs, practiced our routines and learnt how to mix it up with some aggressive haka and sweet soft songs.
“Although half of us are non-Maori, that reflects the different cultures that Air New Zealand represents. It gives us a real point of difference with other airlines.”
Lelaulu joined Air New Zealand in 1999 after two years working for Polynesian Airlines in Samoa. When he first joined he enjoyed the long haul flights across the globe, including trips of up to 20 days away from home. But being married to Lomialagi and having daughter Fa’asegiamauli, who turns two on July 23, has him enjoying the comforts of his beautiful home tucked in a quiet Papatoetoe street.
Salesi began as a flight attendant working on the economy cabins before moving to premium, then in-flight service and on to his current position of Flight Service Manager, heading a team of eight and being the first port of call if needed for that team.
He enjoys working on the Pacific routes and serving his people.
“I think it’s in our DNA to do so. It’s great seeing Pacific people flying all over the world and hearing their stories,” he says.
“There’s a lot more competition across the Pacific, but the perception of our airline is still strong. The quality of our service and our safety record gives people a lot of trust in us.”
That service was recognised in February when the American magazine Air Transport World awarded it Airline of the Year for 2010, commending it for its innovative use of technology, cutting edge customer service and commitment to environmental research and protection. The awards began in 1974 and are described as the Oscars of the Airline Industry.
“It’s massive,” says Lelaulu. “When I worked at Polynesian Airlines I used to think Air New Zealand was huge. But once I started here I realised how small we were compared to the big airlines across the world. To beat all of those is significant, but I know all the background work that goes into it.”
After almost going under in 2001 before being saved by the New Zealand government, Lelaulu attributes the strong state of Air New Zealand today to CEO Rob Fyfe.
“Ralph Norris started the recovery, but Rob has taken it to a new level. It’s the way he leads. He has a young executive team that isn’t scared to be innovative and take action. That attitude trickles down to all of us. When you look at the state of Air New Zealand in 2001 compared to where we are now, especially in today’s environment when airlines are going under, it makes me proud.”
No more proud than seeing the airline embrace its unique Maori and Pacific flavour.
“That difference is our uniqueness as Kiwis, and part of that uniqueness is our Maori and other Polynesian cultures,” he says. “A third of Air New Zealand staff are Maori or Pacific Islanders. That, and seeing the Koru, makes us feel we are embraced, and we are part of something special.”
