A newly-published book shares the stories of a veteran flight attendant who has traveled with popes St. John Paul II to Leo XIV.
The book “Stories in Flight: 80 Years of Air Transport in Italy” recounts stories of flying with the popes from the perspective of veteran ITA Airways flight attendant Rino Anastasio. Anastasio, 67, has served as a flight attendant coordinator for special flights — including those of the pope — for over 45 years.
Co-authored in Italian with Filippo Anastasi, the Amalfi Coast native shares personal anecdotes about caring for the popes on board, ranging from worries about insufficient fuel to an unexpected birthday surprise.
History of papal flights
The Vatican does not own airplanes or helicopters for the pope to use. Instead, it charters commercial airliners, using ITA Airways (Italy’s national carrier) for flights departing from Rome and local carriers for the pope’s return flights from abroad.
St. Paul VI was the first pope to travel by airplane when he visited Jordan and Israel in January 1964. He was also the first pope to leave the Italian peninsula since Pope Pius VII was captured and taken to France by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1809.
Since Paul VI, papal travel has remained an important means of outreach for the popes. St. John Paul II completed 109 apostolic journeys outside Italy, visiting 129 countries worldwide during his 26-year pontificate.
Pope Benedict XVI completed 24 apostolic journeys, while Pope Francis completed 47.
Pope Leo XIV has also made travel a feature of his ministry, including visits to Africa, Turkey, Lebanon, Spain, and France, before traveling to South America from Nov. 6–17.
Jet escorts, fuel concerns, and a festive birthday flight
Speaking with Vatican News’ Andrea Tornielli, Anastasio recounted his experiences with the popes, beginning with John Paul II.
“With John Paul II there was a very strict protocol,” Anastasio said. “I remember one time there were two fighter jets escorting us towards Kazakhstan right after Sept. 11, 2001.”
“John Paul II called me and asked: ‘But what are those?’ I replied: ‘Holy Father, those are our guardian angels escorting us.’”
On a trip to France with Benedict XVI in 2008, Anastasio recalled that the pontiff was reading a newspaper with a headline about ITA Airways’ (Alitalia at the time) bankruptcy troubles that year.
“In the newspaper, it was written in huge letters that Alitalia doesn’t even have the money to pay for fuel. Pope Benedict, with his little glasses, looked up from the newspaper and said to me: ‘But you did put fuel in the plane, right?’”
It was Anastasio’s birthday when he accompanied Pope Francis to Marseille, France. He recounted how Francis surprised him on the return flight to Rome.
“It was my birthday. In the morning, the pope asked the gendarmes to buy six giant cakes and 12 bottles of champagne to celebrate my birthday, but I wasn’t supposed to know anything,” Anastasio said.
“When the curtain opened, and these cakes arrived, I was truly moved there. Perhaps it was one of the most beautiful joys of my life.”