Former Kiwi Air CEO Still Putting Out Fires

Former CEO of collapsed airline Kiwi Air Ewan Wilson admits he was the whistleblower in the Civil Aviation Safety Authority’s closure of a freight company he worked for.

In his new book Help, My Plane’s On Fire!, Wilson catalogues a litany of aircraft failures at Pacific Air Freighters where he worked as a trainee pilot in the Australian Outback following Kiwi Air’s demise.

Wilson says a fire on board, continued brake failures and engine problems, cargo overloads and a severely loose propeller could have caused an aviation disaster – and he felt morally compelled to report the company.

Awarded a New Zealand Special Service Medal for his relief work in Sri Lanka, Wilson discusses his rise from a public and catastrophic company failure to successful tour-guide operator and philanthropist in his new book.

“I wrote this book to inspire others who have been in my situation. Yes failure is hard to take but it’s how you respond to it that makes all the difference to the life you lead from then on.”

Wilson’s reinvention has included a stint as a Hamilton city councillor, Waikato District Health Board member and work as a guest lecturer at Otago and Waikato Universities.

But it’s his charity work in Sri Lanka following the Boxing Day Tsunami in 2004 that he credits as being one of his greatest achievements.

Wilson says even now he can recall the stench of decomposing bodies as he and his team of Waikato tradespeople worked in a devastated Seenigama. The dedicated team rebuilt 47 houses, created another 20 new dwellings along with a small factory and medical centre during their time there.

Never far from controversy, in Help, My Plane’s On Fire! Wilson takes a swipe at a World Vision worker’s criticism that the $200,000 he raised for the people of Seenigama would be better distributed by the charity.

“I realised then that charity work was a business for some,” he says.

Wilson says he wanted to redeem himself in the public eye after the multi-million dollar collapse of Kiwi International Airlines. To some extent this was achieved with his bestselling book “Dogfight” which sold 13,000 copies and outlined the background behind the airline’s failure.

“I wanted people to understand that Kiwi Air was really about making a dream of low cost international travel available to the people of the Waikato. I still believe today that Hamilton has the population and infrastructure to support its own international airport.”

Wilson’s new book Help, My Plane’s On Fire! also includes details of the subsequent trial that followed Wilson’s public fall from grace.

For more information see www.ewanwilson.com

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Note to Editors:

Ewan Wilson is 43-year-old New Zealander. Born in Timaru New Zealand from English immigrants, Wilson is married to Canadian born wife Monique, and they have two adult children. Wilson has spent his working life in aviation and travel including completing studies at Cranfield University, Certificate in Airline and Airport Marketing, Commercial pilot, multi engine command IFR rating. Wilson began his career in 1987 when he launched the company Kiwi Travel International before founding Kiwi Air seven years later in 1994. At Kiwi Air he held the position of CEO and Director until the company closed in 1996. From 2003 to 2007 Wilson was the CEO of The Aviation Group – TAG and a guest lecturer at the University of Waikato and University of Otago - Aviation and Transport Matters. Wilson then moved on to the position of CEO of Norfolk Air, a role he held from January 2007 to June 2008. Wilson was also a Hamilton City Councillor, Director of the Waikato District Health Board and Chairman of Economic Development from 2001 to 2007 and responsible for business development at Pacific Air Freighters from 2000 to 2001. Wilson’s honours and awards include New Zealand Special Service Medal - Asian Tsunami (Founder Phoenix Operation Sri Lanka), Waikato Entrepreneur of the Year – 1995, Author – ‘Dogfight - the Story of Kiwi Air’ (Howling at the Moon Productions Ltd) and ‘Help! My Plane’s On Fire’ (MEW Developments Ltd) RRP $29.95 and Guest Lecturer Waikato University and Otago University.