Virgin Australia shines a light on the staff members who go above and beyond.

People Power

LUCY O’ROURKE Cabin Crew SupervisorOn a flight from Mackay to Brisbane, Lucy introduced herself to a passenger and learnt he was an ex-Changi prisoner of war, and was celebrating his 93rd birthday the next day. Upon landing, Lucy raced to buy a card and bottle of wine. She presented the gift before he boarded his connecting flight to Darwin, where cabin crew also thanked the man for his service.

CHELSEA SCOTT Cabin Crew SupervisorLike many travellers, Chelsea’s holiday in Bali was affected by ash- cloud disruptions. So when she was unable to travel home on her scheduled flight, Chelsea volunteered to help. She assisted with managing enquiries and shared information with guests staying at her hotel, many of whom provided glowing feedback.

GARY BUCK Safety Assurance AuditorWhen Gary noticed the large number of books being left at Brisbane airport, he came up with a unique idea to put them to good use. He established a process with Brisbane Baggage Services to collect them, then invested his own time to categorise them into different genres. Gary contacted a range of local charities, and has since provided them with more than 4500 books. Last year alone, nearly 900 books were gratefully received by charities including the Footpath Library, which distributes reading material to homeless people.

THE ANNUAL VIRGIN AUSTRALIA Group CEO Awards provide an opportunity to recognise the people who have made an outstanding contribution to the business. Good service is at the core of Virgin Australia’s DNA and it is the passion and energy of staff on the ground who, through acts both big and small, ensure customers get where they need to be — and on time. Here are four of Virgin Australia’s everyday heroes.

MARK LANGTRY Cabin Crew MemberMark is a keen photographer who put his skills to good use capturing images of Virgin Australia aircraft. His idea was to get some of the best photographs framed so they could be auctioned to support the Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME). AIME is one of Virgin Australia’s charity partners and one of Mark’s favourite causes. He unveiled a collection of 32 photographs at a special ceremony at the airline’s Queensland head office and later presented AIME representatives with a cheque for $5000 and 11 framed photographs.

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