Although a career in aviation had never been a dream of his, the universe had other plans. After being made redundant from a role in a plywood factory, he received a fortuitous call from his cousin that same day, who suggested he join her at JNP Aviation. “I just said yes because I needed a new job and that’s how it started,” he says. “I didn’t know that I would grow so much with this company.”
About five months into a ramp agent role, Una was approached by JNP Aviation CEO Josh Payne, who was so impressed with his work ethic that he offered him the opportunity to be part of a new team in New Plymouth. “I didn’t even think about it, I just said yes straight away.”
Una was then sent to Hamilton to train as a refueler for six weeks, and for a further five weeks in New Plymouth, where he relocated in 2018 and became the team leader. He returned to Gisborne just before 2021 to be closer to family after the pandemic, where he quickly became the second-in-command, followed by the manager. He is now based back in New Plymouth in his current aviation ground operations manager role.
From the beginning, Una says the secret to his success is saying yes. “I always turned up to work and I was always happy to cover anyone’s shift. I got here by saying yes, taking risks and not overthinking it, but that doesn’t work for everyone – we are all different.”
Originally from Tonga, Una’s family moved to New Zealand when he was 10 and settled in Gisborne. He says family is his greatest motivation. “When we first moved to New Zealand, I was young but I remember my parents struggling to put food on the table. And secondly, my boss Josh Payne, who has pushed me to be where I am today.”
Although Una entered the aviation industry with no qualifications, he has since completed all the necessary Air New Zealand training to work safely on the ground. JNP Aviation now offers qualifications through its training programmes.
As a manager, Una is focused on ensuring his staff are happy, safe, and always receive consistent messaging. “It’s essential that everyone is singing the same song, so they’re not hearing one thing from me and another from someone else.
“It’s also important to put your job titles aside at times, because at the end of the day, I want my team to feel at home. I feel it’s important to know them and ask them how they are because sometimes people can come into work with an attitude and we are so quick to judge, but we don’t stop and ask why.”
Una enjoys meeting new people every day in his role and encourages anyone thinking about joining the aviation industry to go for it. “Often, when people hear the word aviation, they just think about being a flight attendant or a pilot, but behind the scenes there are so many roles – customer service, ramp agents, refuellers – without us, the plane isn’t going anywhere.”
