Airline Captain recognizes healthcare workers traveling to New York hospitals

A United Airlines captain took a moment to ask medical personnel to stand so that they could be thanked before they flew to New York to work in hospitals dealing with the coronavirus outbreak on Saturday, April 11.

Captain Jim Crail spoke to passengers at Virginia’s Dulles Airport, announcing that he and First Officer Brian McCasey would be in command of the flight, scheduled to land at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey on Saturday afternoon.

“Brian and I have wives who are nurses and I understand that we have quite a few folks who are going to get on this airplane to travel to the tristate area to volunteer to help as medical professionals,” Crail said at the gate.

“I’d like to ask all of you to please stand up. I know my wife would be totally embarrassed if I ask them to do that,” Crail continued. “On behalf of everybody in the tristate area, the rest of the country and United Airlines, I really, really appreciate and thank you for what you are willing to volunteer to do.”

On Twitter, Crail later wrote, “It was my personal honor for me and my crew to take those brave folks into the heart of the battle against COVID-19.”

As of Tuesday morning, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy reported 64,584 cases of the coronavirus and 2,443 deaths.