Air Rarotonga founder knighted in King's Birthday Honours

Ewan Smith with his wife Fenny Photo: Supplied

Air Rarotonga chief executive officer and owner Ewan Francis Smith has been knighted for services to Cook Islands business and tourism.

Smith said he is still coming to grips with the award.

He started Air Rarotonga in 1978 and had grown it to be one of the largest businesses in the country, with more than 95 percent of staff being locals.

"The last 50 years have gone in a blur really; it's been so busy," Smith told RNZ Pacific.

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Smith said he didn't expect the company to become such a success.

"You have obviously high hopes and aspirations for it, but it's had its moments.

"It's only when you look back over that length of time that you realise how significant the company's become."

A tough moment for the company was when the Cook Islands shut its borders in 2020. All Air Rarotonga employees were put on minimum wage, including Smith.

"It was the only way we were going to survive. You had to figure out how to get through a two or three-year hiatus without burning all your cash and that's how we did it."

Smith provided mentorship, counselling and budget advice to staff during the period.

Air Rarotonga CEO Ewan Smith has been knighted for services to Cook Islands business and tourism Photo: Supplied

He said staff were considered family and many people had been working with the company their entire lives.

"There's no way anybody's going to be left behind. We couldn't do that; we were all in that together."

During the pandemic the airline maintained essential cargo and medevac services throughout the Cook Islands including air logistics for the Covid vaccine rollout.

The airline also helped get vaccines out to eastern Kiribati.

Smith arrived in Rarotonga in 1973 as a 22-year-old pilot and aircraft engineer and only expected to be on the island for three or four years.

Smith said he's always had an entrepreneurial desire.

"If you spend some of your childhood selling plums on the side of the road, you kind of get it.

"Once you get into things, they just get bigger and bigger and more and more complex, and you develop a lot of experience at it."

He said his contributions that led to his award were not done on his own.

"I relied on a lot of other people and I share this honour, particularly with my wife, Fenny, and the family, along with everybody at Air Raro, Paradise Islands and Cook Islands tourism.

"They've all committed their working lives, through thick and thin."

In 2019 Smith was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to Cook Islands business and tourism.

He has chaired Cook Islands Tourism since 2010, has previously chaired the Association of South Pacific Airlines and is a former President of the Cook Islands Chamber of Commerce.

In 2023 he oversaw the launch of the new vaka Teariki Moana in Aitutaki, hosting Pacific leaders attending the 52nd forum leaders meeting.

Smith has been a patron of the Rarotonga Golf Club since 2005 and is a fellow of the King's College Foundation.