Jordanian pilot to passengers: 'We're now flying over Jerusalem, Palestine's capital'
Pilot Yousef Dajah widely praised in Jordan after he told his passengers that their Amman-NY flight path would take them over 'Jerusalem, capital of Palestine'; 'He knew there were many Americans on the flight, but he did it anyway,' says co-pilot.
His announcement on flight RJ216 from Amman to NYC was greeted with enthusiastic applause by the passengers and a recording of it went viral on social media.
"This is our flight plan for today, God willing," proclaimed Pilot Yousef Dajah. "We will depart Queen Alia International Airport heading towards Palestine; we will then turn north of Jerusalem, the Palestinian capital. We will then pass over the western coast of Palestine and the Mediterranean Sea. You will find more information on the screens in front of you, where you can follow our route."
Jordanian media reported that the pilot made the announcement in Arabic and English. The first officer Jamil Khalsa told the Jordanian News Agency that he did not know in advance of the pilot's announcement, "It made me proud to see that there still exist people with the guts to say something like this," said Khalsa.
"He knew there were many Americans on the flight, and he knew that we were flying over Israel and Palestine, but he did it anyway. I am very proud of him," he added.
A representative of Royal Jordanian Airlines in Israel said: "We are a commercial company and do not engage in politics."
