Meet the flight attendant who’s been in the air for 50 years

In the 1970s, male flight attendants were a rarity in our skies.

Men who did take up the profession were not allowed in the cabin, were relegated to the galley and were not allowed to talk on the PA system.

Kevin Yakas is Air New Zealand’s longest-serving flight attendant.

That didn’t keep Kevin Yakas from signing up 50 years ago, and in 2024, he’s still flying with Air New Zealand.

The airline’s longest-serving flight attendant first trained as a chef in Auckland but wanted to see the world.

“There was an ad in the paper for Canadian Pacific, at that time it was called, for flight attendants to immigrate to Vancouver. So I thought, ‘Oh, that would be good. I’ve got family up there and I’ll see the world.’ I was going to post the application form at lunchtime.”

But that afternoon Yakas had lunch with a friend who worked at Air New Zealand and told him they were hiring flight attendants.

Kevin Yakas, now 72, has flown with Air New Zealand for 50 years.Credit: Lawrence Smith/Stuff.co.nz

“I went across the road, got the application form and a week later I was in, so I ripped up the Canadian Pacific one and here I am,” Yakas said.

After a woman was sick all over him on his first day, Yakas has gone on to have many other memorable flights, including being on the first Air New Zealand flight to Antarctica in 1977.

“I had the Olympians from Barcelona to LA and it was like a party flight. It was fantastic.

“And Operation Disneyland in 1979, I was on the committee and we took 200 underprivileged children to Disneyland. That was absolutely amazing. The children were great. Everybody pitched in.

Operation Disneyland in 1979.

“We raised a quarter of a million [dollars] to take all these children away. It was amazing.”

Since his first day on May 6, 1974, the industry has seen many changes but he said the role has stayed much the same.

“The trips were longer, naturally because Air New Zealand had fewer aircraft.

“Customers, it was a once-in-a-lifetime trip for them and they would come up formally dressed. Today, people are very casual but our customers are the same. They still have the same problems … they tell you about their holidays.

Photos from Kevin’s 50-year career with Air New Zealand.Credit: Lawrence Smith/Stuff.co.nz

“There was no technology back then. There were no iPhones, nothing like that. We would go away on 16-day trips and, to contact home, we used to write letters. We used to send them to the crew that were going from Frankfurt to LA and they passed it onto the crew that were going to Honolulu. When they got home, they passed it on. We might phone home once every 10 days from LA because it was cheaper, but that was still very expensive.”

On the day of Yakas’s 50-year milestone he had to put celebrating aside to study for emergency procedure exams.

“Then halfway through the day, [colleagues] came in with a cake and cards for me and all the managers were there. It was overwhelming. I never expected it from the company. It was great and my family celebrated … I just want to keep it low-key.”

The lifestyle is what’s kept him in the job for so long, he said.

“It’s the people, the customers, the crew, the company, the airline. It’s not like a normal job….Every time you go to work, you’re working with different people, you’re going to a different place.

“It’s exciting. It’s hard to put into words, but it’s a lifestyle. It grows on you. When people retire, they find it very hard because you’re giving up a lot of friendships, a lot of memories.”

Though every job comes with its downsides. For Yakas, it’s jetlag and not being able to sleep during crew rest on board.

“Then you’ve got to serve a meal like you’re fantastic. You look great, but you don’t feel great.

“When I get into a port, I try to stay up. If we get in at about two or three in the afternoon, I don’t go to bed. I stay up till about eight or nine at night and then I get a good night’s sleep.

“The same when I come home. If we land at five or six in the morning, I go to sleep till about 11am and then I get up and that gets me back into the pattern where I am.”

Yakas has a few favourite destinations: “I love Singapore, Japan, Vancouver.

“Singapore, the food is fantastic. The atmosphere, the people. Japan is the same, the culture and the people and the food. Vancouver, I’ve got family there and I’ve had great times there.

“We don’t have enough time in a port at the moment because there’s flights every day, but when we have two or three days in a place, I love it.

“But I don’t think there’s one port I go to that I could say I don’t like. You go there and you make something out of it. You find something positive in everything. It could be just the food, it could be the culture, it could be the visual beauty of the place.”

Now an inflight service manager on Boeing 787 Dreamliners and 777 aircraft, the 72-year-old has no plans to retire.

“I told my manager … when are they bringing walkers on?” Yakas joked. “Not in the next year or so. If my body keeps up and I’m healthy and I can do the job I’ll do it. I love it.”

To the next generation of flight attendants, Yakas’ piece of advice was to “embrace it”.

“Enjoy every moment because it’s a great opportunity, a great lifestyle and you can get a lot out of it.”

- Stuff.co.nz