The Chief Executive Officer of Samoa Airways Fauo’o Fatu Tielu is a man of few words when asked about the positive and most often negative issues connected to the national carrier’s operation. 

His responses are frank. He can be described as a straight shooter – a trait that makes him an unfavourable person, to which he pays little attention. 

He bluntly told the media earlier this year the airline lacked the financial means to purchase a new aircraft and at one point noted issues in landing at the Fagalii airport when the facility resumed operation. 

The CEO stressed they do not want any accidents and an audit will eventually find out if they did not do anything. 

 “Some people want us to say differently, when you do that it won’t reflect the reality,” said Fauo’o about his openness and addressing media queries concerning the national carrier. He is one of the few public servants who has an open door policy to the media and always answers calls regardless of it being sensitive. 

“I don’t like saying something which I know is not correct. I would rather not say it. You should tell the truth and have a clear conscience than having sleepless nights.” 

The Interim CEO was appointed to the post in July 2022 following an unsuccessful bid to run for office in the 2021 General Election. 

His brief stint in politics made him realise it was suitable for him. "It is probably easier to be a politician in New Zealand and Australia than here”. 

“I can understand the pressure politicians are under, it is incredible,” he added. 

“Some people use words and that is how they get around it but I’m not a person of words. That’s the currency they use its words and some are very effective and skillful in that. I don’t see myself being a politician in Samoa.” 

Critiques might say the appointment of Fauo’o to head the national carrier was political but he is no stranger in the industry clocking close to 15 years. 

His employment history in the industry began in 2003 with the Polynesian Airline now Samoa Airways where he was the Chief Financial Officer. 

From 2006 to 2014 he was elevated to the Chief Executive Officer position. Under his watch, he has always turned a profit. 

He had also worked for his competitor Talofa Airways from 2015 to 2020 before he decided to give politics a try. 

Now back to Samoa Airways, Fauo’o took over an airline with a debt of over $80 million. He and the interim Board were tasked to pay off what was owed and at the same time make the airline profitable again. 

The government took over $55 million of that debt from 2023 and the latest update shows the Samoa Airways serviced about $25 million within two years. 

“It is very little now [debt] basically less than $5 million,” said Fauo’o. 

“Those debts relate to the jet operations and it is manageable now…after two years it has been profitable and the staff are fairly paid in my view.” 

The challenge for the airline, he said, is keeping licensed engineers on their payroll. 

Asked about the possibility of the airline stepping into jet operation again, Fauo’o said he personally thinks that the carrier needs to go into partnership with another reputable airline. 

This way, he added, you share the risks and experience. 

“Even if we have two or three aircraft, it is very hard to compete with Air NZ and Fiji Airways they have a lot of aircraft and that perception of reliability is there with Air NZ,” he said. 

“If we drop the fares Air NZ can drop it a lot lower so we are just shooting ourselves on the foot, and that is how we make losses and the company can’t sustain going on its own.”  

Fauo’o, 65, is an accountant by profession and chartered accountant in Australia and New Zealand and a certified public accountant in Samoa.

His working career started at the Electric Power Corporation (EPC) as an Internal Auditor in 1983 and worked his way up to the Deputy General Manager position from 1988 to 1992. 

He also spent time at the National Pacific Insurance before moving to New Zealand as an accountant for several firms before coming back to Samoa.