Captain of the flight tells of his grief

The captain of the aircraft carrying the late Crown Prince Naif’s body back to the Kingdom on Sunday told of his grief over the prince’s death.
Capt. Ibrahim Al-Rasheedi said he used to fly with the prince for the last 27 years, adding every flight with him was delightful. “But the last one was filled with sorrow,” Al-Rasheedi told Al-Eqtisadiah business daily. The captain said the prince had left for Switzerland 23 days ago.
“We stayed with him until Saturday expecting at any time an order for a trial flight, which we undertake before we actually travel with the prince. Instead, I received an instruction to postpone the trial flight. I was sure then that there was an unexpected development. I spoke with someone related to the prince and then found out the shocking news,” he said.
He said in a choked voice that the prince received visiting princes and ministers and other dignitaries as usual until Tuesday.
He recalled how the prince used to inquire about the welfare of the crew every time he boarded a plane.
“The smile never left his face when he greeted us when boarding and he used to inquire about our health before we could ask him about his,” he said.
He said the prince used to spend his time on board dealing with governmental matters unless reciting from the Holy Qu’ran or the teachings of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Sometimes the crewmembers hesitated to submit to him requests for assistance on behalf of their friends and families. “However, the prince used to encourage such requests from us, saying in fact we were doing a noble service to our countrymen,” the captain said.
He said the flight from Geneva to Jeddah carrying the prince’s body was the most miserable flight he had endured. “It was because of the burden of grief and tears filling my eyes. We left Switzerland at nine in the morning and arrived in Jeddah at 2.15 p.m. after a flight of four hours and 45 minutes,” he said.
“I will not forget the sorrowful faces I saw when the plane landed at the Jeddah airport. It was also heartrending for me and the other 24 stewards to leave the plane without any smiling farewell from the prince, as he did when he left us at the Swiss airport 23 days ago.”