Pope Francis returns to Rome after a historic visit to the United Arab Emirates

His Holiness Pope Francis, Pope of the Vatican, has returned to Rome on board Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, after a historic visit to the capital, Abu Dhabi, as the first papal visit to the Arabian Gulf region.

Etihad Airways decorated the aircraft's door and headrests with the Vatican emblem in preparation for the flight, as well as a live broadcast of the Mass on board the plane on Tuesday and in the airline's luxury airport lounges around the world. His Holiness traveled on an Etihad Airways Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Captain Abdullah Obaid, who commanded the Pope’s plane, an Emirati pilot with more than twenty years of experience in the field of aviation, said: “I would like to express my pride and honor to participate in this air crew, to be the first Emirati pilot to have this honor. We follow the path of our wise leadership, which encourages us to establish the value of tolerance, peace and brotherhood among all people of different cultures living in the UAE.”

Captain Christopher Schiebel, a German national, joined Captain Abdullah in the cockpit, drawing on more than 30 years of experience in the field of aviation and operations.

Furthermore, Captain Paulo La Cava, Etihad Airways' Director of Flight Training, played an important role in the operations and planning of this important flight. Captain Paolo said: “I am honored to join the air crew responsible for flying His Holiness' plane to Italy. I have had the honor of joining the Pope's cabin crew on a number of previous occasions in my career, and I am delighted to have that honor again at Etihad Airways. The Pope’s visit to the UAE is a wonderful opportunity, and Etihad Airways is an example of the spirit of tolerance and peace for which the UAE is famous.”

The cabin crew completed extensive preparations for this special flight, including operational planning meetings, team briefings, and attending private simulator training sessions.

It should be noted that Etihad Airways includes more than 150 nationalities and employs approximately 23 employees, which makes the Pope's visit an ideal opportunity to celebrate the spirit of diversity and harmony that pervades the company. His Holiness traveled on an aircraft of 15 different nationalities, reflecting the cultural diversity within the Etihad Aviation Group.

The Pope's visit spanned over three days and was described as a great development in raising the level of dialogue between religions and fraternity among people, thus contributing to the writing of history, as he left behind a tangible legacy of tolerance and peace. During the visit, His Holiness and His Eminence the Grand Imam, Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Sheikh of Al-Azhar and Chairman of the Council of Muslim Rulers, participated in the Human Fraternity Conference, which brings together the symbols of religions around the world with the aim of strengthening the spirit of brotherhood among human beings.

The Pope also revived a mass mass attended by about 130 participants at the Zayed Sports City Stadium, coinciding with the Year of Tolerance in the United Arab Emirates, stressing Abu Dhabi's position as a global center for interfaith dialogue and cultural diversity.