'I Will Resign... This Is My Last Flight': Azzah Was Preparing to Return to Her Family Before Her Death in Riyadh Airport Attack - Sarmad
• The family concealed the news of her death from her father out of concern for his health
Grief has enveloped the residents of Al-Atf village in the Beheira Governorate, northern Egypt, following the announcement of the death of 28-year-old Egyptian flight attendant Azza Ramzy Mohamed Hassan Shaaban in the attack targeting King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital, Riyadh. The news sent shockwaves through her family, who had been eagerly awaiting her return to spend her holiday with them.
Details of the incident revealed that the Egyptian flight attendant had planned to end her career in aviation and return to settle in her hometown. She had informed her family that her final flight would serve as a precursor to her resignation, a fact that intensified the shock and grief upon learning of her death, according to Al Arabiya Net.
From Law School to Aviation
Ahmed Labib, the flight attendant’s cousin, stated in media interviews that Azza graduated from the Faculty of Law before joining an aviation academy and securing a job with an airline company.
He added that his cousin intended to submit her resignation and settle in her village in the Beheira Governorate. He noted that she had told her family this would be her last flight before returning to them for her usual holiday.
He explained that family members followed the circulating news reports regarding the attack on the airport with anxiety and anticipation, until her eldest sister confirmed the news of her death, turning their wait into shock and sorrow.
The family hid the news from her father
The flight attendant’s cousin pointed out that the family made every effort not to inform her father of her death from the evening of the previous day until the following morning, out of consideration for his health and to avoid subjecting him to sudden shock.
He added that her father only learned of the news a few hours before the statements were made, after the family had confirmed the death. Meanwhile, the family began preparations to receive her body and transport it to her hometown in the Beheira Governorate, in preparation for her burial in the village cemetery.
Egyptian efforts to repatriate the body
Following the incident, the Egyptian Embassy and the Egyptian Consulate General in Riyadh have been coordinating with the victim’s family to facilitate the necessary procedures for transporting the flight attendant’s body to Egypt.
Al Cairo News channel also reported that the Egyptian diplomatic mission is monitoring the health condition of Egyptian victims of the attack, while simultaneously coordinating with Azza’s family to complete the procedures for repatriating her body to her homeland.
The Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation had announced that the attack targeting King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday afternoon resulted in 12 deaths and 309 injuries, according to figures cited in the official statement regarding the incident.
Azza’s return, which the family had been anticipating to celebrate her presence among them, turned into a tragedy. Her final flight ended in an unexpected manner, leaving behind her dream of returning home and settling among her loved ones.
