The captain of the first special flight reports on the flight: “Now 224 Swiss are safe.”

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Blick: Mr. Scheib, it is now shortly before midnight. They flew to Israel and back on Tuesday. What was that feeling?
Stefan-Kenan Scheib: There were mixed feelings. First we flew passengers to Tel Aviv. When they boarded in Zurich, you could see on their faces how grateful they were that we were taking this flight. Several passengers cried during boarding. And when we actually approached the airport, it was mainly standard flying with the usual high concentration. But …

Yes?
Extremely emotional at the same time. Of course, there was already the thought that there were people in the back of the plane who had cut short their holiday with us and wanted to return home, even though war had broken out there. Even before we landed, as the cabin crew later informed me, there was a huge applause. Everyone was very happy to be back home. That was very moving.

Weren’t you afraid to fly to Tel Aviv?
No, but especially not because a lot of preparations preceded it. This flight has nothing to do with a standard flight to Tel Aviv. It was also special mentally. How should I describe that? It has a lot to do with professional ethics that I wanted to do this flight. I see the job of a pilot, but also of a flight attendant, not only in flying people on holiday, but also in being present on site in such situations. I see it as the Swiss’ job to bring people back home when they need it.

Even if it was dangerous?
The flight route was slightly different than normal, but it was not dangerous because we had prepared the flight well in advance. But yes, I have been flying for 25 years and it was my first flight to a crisis area. We have looked at everything carefully. The Iron Dome active there may be under rocket fire. What do we do when we are on the ground and suddenly the sirens go off? Where are the nearest bunkers? Who should we follow in this case? We discuss these types of matters in advance with the entire crew.

Can you function with such thoughts in mind?
It works thanks to the right preparation and years of experience. Our entire crew consisted of volunteers who mentally prepared themselves for the flight together. We have deliberately met each other before. They were all colleagues with a long track record of service. You obviously approach such a flight differently than when we fly to Palma de Mallorca. Still, we tried – and I think we succeeded – to make the flight as pleasant as possible for the passengers, but also for us, despite the circumstances. Do you know …

What?
I will probably always remember the gratitude and happiness with which the people arrived in Tel Aviv. I personally spoke to several passengers as I boarded. When we said come in, sit down, we’re taking you home now, you could tell they were relieved. The expressions on their faces touched us all.

I have great respect that you and your crew have now flown to Tel Aviv. But many crew members probably have relatives. How do you explain to them that you are taking such a risk?
Many people will have had these discussions – they are important. Naturally, families worry about their loved ones. And of course as a crew we need support from the people around us. From family, friends and acquaintances. But I can only speak for myself. I was confident that this flight was 99.9 percent safe. We have invested a lot in this. And 20 minutes before landing in Israel we got the green light that everything was actually safe at Tel Aviv airport. It was just a great feeling to help bring Swiss people home.

They are now talking about the return flight.
Yes, it was a different feeling here. We had to leave the Israeli citizens who stepped off our plane in a certain state of limbo. The passengers were very happy when they crossed the threshold into our plane again. Every second person smiled and thanked us for being there. But I thought it was a shame that we could only take 224 people. But because there were a lot of small children, we were able to bring a few more people than usual.

Swiss flies another special flight.
Still, I would have liked to take all 500 or 600 Swiss with me who currently want to leave Israel. You can’t leave people there! Of course there were tears upon boarding and during the flight. It was all very emotional. But the whole crew did a great job. We were all rewarded with great gratitude by those who returned home. We can all be happy that we’ve made a difference that goes beyond just bringing someone to the next business meeting. We cannot forget the colleagues who handled our flight in Tel Aviv. They are also exposed to risks. I have great respect for that.

So the return flight was uneventful?
No, you can’t say that. It was a very special flight for us. Many passengers had a great need to talk and move. My crew was constantly tending to them and sometimes just listening. During the flight we had a lot of headwind. In addition, a passenger on board required medical attention. In the meantime, we didn’t know whether we should move to a closer airport. Fortunately that was not necessary. Now 224 Swiss are safe.

Source:Blick