VITALINA Nadurutalo has seen it all in her more than 25 years as a flight attendant with Air Pacific and then Fiji Airways.
She witnessed a person lose his life and she was also there when a love-struck individual tried to take down a Boeing 747 aircraft midway across the Pacific Ocean as the jumbo jet headed towards Los Angeles.
While the death of the passenger, also on a Nadi-Los Angeles flight, remains etched in her mind, the hijack incident always brings a smile to her face.
“The gentleman ran about 20 metres through the aircraft, from the rear door, past a few hundred people and left a few burly flight attendants bewildered because they were just not expecting it,” Mrs Nadurutalo explained.
“One of the females brought the saga to an end by putting out a well-heeled foot and tripped him.
“All hell broke loose and he was handcuffed until we reached LA.
“The crew that sat and calmed him down later found out that he wanted to stay in Fiji because he had found his ‘soulmate’ but, unfortunately, his visa had expired.
“So my advice to travellers is this – if your visa is expiring and you find a soulmate in Fiji, please extend your visa, do not try to hijack an aircraft.”
Mrs Nadurutalo is married to Viliame Nadurutalo, the couple had four children but, unfortunately, lost one six years ago.
The Fiji Times has been highlighting the journeys of former Fiji Airways flight attendants over the past few weeks.
To hear Vitalina Nadurutalo tell her story, visit The Fiji Times Facebook and YouTube sites.
