Maria Pappa, the Greek flight attendant killed in a deadly plane crash outside Ankara, earlier this week, was working her very first shift for the charter operator when the jet went down, her partner has revealed.
The crash of the Malta-registered Dassault Falcon 50 claimed the lives of all eight people on board, including the Libyan Army’s Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad.
Speaking to news portal in.gr, Mrs. Pappa’s partner described a tragic twist of fate.
An experienced aviation professional with 20 years of service, she had recently decided to transition from large commercial airliners to private charters operated by Harmony Jets.
"She had been flying for 19 years and was experienced," her partner said. Tuesday’s ill-fated trip was her debut flight with the company.
The private aircraft, returning the Libyan delegation to Tripoli after an official visit, crashed Tuesday evening shortly after takeoff from Ankara.
Turkish officials reported that the pilots requested an emergency landing due to an electrical failure minutes before losing contact.
Mrs. Pappa, who hailed from Pyrgos in southwest Greece and lived in Athens, was one of three crew members who perished alongside Lt. Gen. al-Haddad and four other passengers.
The crash has drawn international attention due to the high profile of the passengers. Lt. Gen. al-Haddad was a key figure in Libya’s military leadership, and his death comes at a sensitive time for regional security.
Turkish authorities have launched a full investigation into the technical malfunction cited by the crew.