For Air Corsica, it is an “immense pride” to have brought the sovereign pontiff back to Rome

If the Pope had arrived in Corsica on Sunday morning aboard an ITA Airways plane, it was with an Air Corsica plane that he left Ajaccio the same evening to reach Rome. “A magical moment,” says the management of the regional island company.

“It’s so beautiful that we don’t even dare to dream of it.”

On the “I Sanguinari” plane of Air Corsica, which brought the Pope back to Rome on the evening of Sunday, December 15, the emotion was palpable. Stéphane Guaschi, the captain, still had a little difficulty realizing that he and his colleagues had carried out a flight like no other.

“We always have the desire to do well, but there was the desire to be perfect in terms of punctuality, comfort so that he can make his little speech to the journalists on board and so on. It’s still a host of choice, it is therefore an immense pride. he confides, sitting at the controls of this Airbus A320 Neo specially fitted out for the occasion, notably with a private space reserved for the Holy Father and his delegation.

The report by Jean-Philippe Mattei and Yann Benard on board the Air Corsica plane:

In the other part of the plane, the 66 journalists directly accredited by the Vatican waited for the traditional “air” press conference which generally punctuates each papal trip. In vain.

Tired by his marathon day in Ajaccio, the Argentine Jesuit was content with a simple declaration to “thank them for their presence and their work”, while emphasizing that he “been happy to see a people who have children.”

The Airbus, dressed for the occasion with the Vatican coat of arms, landed at Fiumicino airport shortly after 8 p.m. A flight from Ajaccio without a hitch for the regional island company which also had to prepare in a very short time.

“It is thanks to the expertise of all of our directors and employees without whom nothing would have been possible, explains Marie-Hélène Casanova-Servas, president of the supervisory board of Air Corsica, also present on board. In less than two months, we had to obtain the necessary authorizations, we didn't think it would be possible. This is state theft; it required a lot of work with the precious cooperation of the apostolic nunciature. Frankly, we didn't think it would be possible in such a short time, but it's done. And I believe it was a successful operation. I can say, for Air Corsica, it’s a mission accomplished.”

For her too, this flight had a special character:

“I think we don't realize it yet. It was a wonderful, historic and sharing moment. I think the appropriate term is magic. And I don't yet know if we can achieve this today. that we accomplished. I am truly proud and honored to have been part of this flight.”

“I tell myself that it only happens once in a lifetime, slips Stéphane Guaschi on his side. So I thank life for giving me this gift. It is therefore an intense emotion. And we took advantage of it to obviously thank the Pope on behalf of Corsica and the Corsicans.” And added: “On saw on social networks when arriving in Rome that it was the most observed flight in the world on Flight radar 24, which is a flight tracking platform.”

During the flight, the Holy Father was offered a cake, on the eve of his 88th birthday, from the Vatican press.

As a souvenir of this trip aboard an Air Corsica plane, he was also given by the company a model representing the Airbus which brought him back to the eternal city…