A passenger’s note to an airline flight crew, thanking them for a safe flight, is going viral in the aftermath of the Germanwings crash in the French Alps.
“Thank you for taking me home. Thank you for doing so safely,” the woman, identified only as Bethanie, says in the handwritten note. “Thank you for allowing me to live the life I do in Spain and split my time with my family in England too. You make the excitement I feel now to see my family possible.”
Pilot Jai Dillon tweeted a photo of the letter, with the caption: A letter given to a colleague from a passenger onboard his aircraft… Providing proof that we’re all in this together.
The writer wanted to “extend a compassionate hand,” in the wake of the Germanwings crash that killed 150 people.
“I understand an event so horrific as this one affects those with your responsibility more than others,” the note reads. “And maybe sometimes a kind word, random but heartfelt, can make a difference.”
The out-of-the-blue thank-you note is a welcome message to pilots, who rarely have a chance to see or interact with the people whose lives they’re responsible for, especially in the post-9/11 security environment.
“You’re making a massive difference and you’re the reason I can smile tonight,” Bethanie’s note concludes. “Take care and spread love.”
The love is spreading across the world. Dillon’s Tweet alone has been retweeted more than 3,000 times.
Story tip from Andrew Norris