Video interview with Captain Merle Clawson, who pilots the 1929 Bellanca CH-300 Pacemaker aircraft, it was the actual aircraft that started it all for Hawaiian Airlines, 89 years ago. / Brett Phibbs
Hawaiian Airlines has been flying from Honolulu to Auckland since 2013. Russell (Rusty) Williss is the NZ country manager.
Q: What was your first job?
A: A paper boy working on Marion Rd Adelaide in peak hour, selling the "Adelaide News". I was 12 or 13 years old.
Q: Whatwas your worst job?
A: Let's just say when you're a plumber's apprentice life isn't all about smelling the roses! There were aspects of that job I definitely didn't enjoy.
Q: How do you stop yourself from working during the holiday period?
A: Despite my best efforts I don't! I'm actually responding to these questions whilst on vacation in Waikiki! Today many of us are pretty much always "on" and unless you go somewhere very remote it can be difficult to completely unplug. But that doesn't mean you can't relax. I happen to love Hawaii as my first choice vacation, so I really enjoy discovering more and more of the Hawaiian islands and while I'm doing that, I like to stay in touch with what's happening back home.
Q: How would you describe 2019 for your business?
A: All things considered we're pleased with where we have finished 2019. The appeal of Hawaii and mainland US continues to make both very popular holiday choices for Kiwis and we only expect demand to grow as more travellers experience our Hawaiian hospitality.
Q: What do you think 2020 will bring?
A: All indicators are for a promising year ahead. March 2020 is Hawaiian Airlines seventh anniversary on the Auckland-Honolulu route, and Kiwis now widely recognise us as Hawaii's airline, and also an attractive option for flying further to California and the 13 US mainland cities we serve.
Hawaiian Airlines NZ manager Russell (Rusty) Williss with Captain Merle Clawson who as you know flies the Bellanca and Captain Rick Rogers, Hawaiian Airlines' Archivist. Photo / Supplied
Q: Are you worried about the flight shame movement?
A: My view is that for a country like New Zealand,as well as for the Hawaiian Islands), flying is still an essential mode of transport to connect us to each other and the rest of the world. From a company point of view, Hawaiian Airlines is proud of our environmental record and passionate about our ongoing initiatives to make our modern and fuel-efficient operation greener every day. We are fully engaged in the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation to achieve carbon-neutral growth. Last year, we lowered jet fuel burn by seven million gallons, (26 million litres) enough to power 14,300 vehicles for one year. We continue to advance our sustainability efforts, and recently HA became the only US airline to adopt the Pacelab Flight Profile Optimiser, a cutting-edge route optimisation system projected to further reduce our annual fuel consumption by 1.3 million gallons – preventing more than 6000kg of carbon emissions from entering the atmosphere.
New Zealand sea cleaners clearing plastic on Oahu in Hawaii. Photo / Brett Phibbs.
Q: What should be un-invented in 2020?
A: Plastic. We are actively involved in the issue of marine plastics both via our Team Kokua employee volunteering programme and locally helping the New Zealand Sea-Cleaners initiative. It is soul destroying to see how plastics are suffocating our oceans.
Q: What do you want to fix in 2020?
A: I want the Kiwi dollar to have US dollar parity!
