Magadan air traffic controllers received a greeting from their colleagues from Anchorage in response. It would seem to be just a pizza, but the story is very touching. It all began in January when state institutions in the USA weren't working because of the shutdown and people didn't receive paychecks for several months there. Then, as a sign of solidarity, the Magadan air traffic controllers decided to support their colleagues.
Ekaterina Isaeva has the details of that good deeds are very simple.
This is the most unusual order in the history of the pizza restaurant: air traffic controllers from Anchorage ordered 15 pizzas. Mushroom, Margherita, and pepperoni pizzas went into the oven one after another. Every employee seems to feel responsibility. This is the first international order.
Nikolay Kazakov, manager of the pizza restaurant: "In the 1990s, this northernmost city of America was familiar to many Magadan residents. If anyone doesn't know it, in 1991, Magadan got its first sister city, Anchorage. Most interestingly, this was preceded by interesting events. American and Soviet schoolchildren exchanged letters. And now, years later, despite any events or the distance, the friendship between Magadan and Anchorage continues".
The tasty package, which was formed by an order from American air traffic controllers is their gratitude to their Magadan colleagues for their support. At the beginning of this year, due to political differences in the USA, civil servants didn't receive their paychecks. Employees of the State ATM Corporation — twenty air traffic controllers — decided to support their colleagues in Anchorage and treated them to pizza.
- Did you order it from Alaska? Your pizzas.
- Thank you.
The duty shift, which was preparing to take control of flights, received a gift from air traffic controllers from Anchorage right at the security checkpoint. American air traffic controllers accurately calculated the time for a shift change. At the strategic facility, the rules are the same for everyone. The pizzas got to North-East Air Navigation only after a thorough inspection.
Evgeny Trikopa, flight control officer: "To some extent, we probably expected it. People like us work there. And we're the same, no borders stop us. We expected it, but it was unexpected, of course. We got a message that pizzas from them will be delivered to us. There was no occasion, nothing like that".
They agreed to try the pizzas from their American colleagues after the shift change and photoshoot. Anchorage air traffic controllers will now see the faces of those whom they knew only by voice before. Despite the huge distance — over 1,800 miles — communication is maintained every second. Leaving the control zone of air traffic controllers from Anchorage, a plane enters the control zone of Magadan air traffic controllers. On average, there are about 200 aircraft per day. These are flights from North America to Southeast Asia. The shift on duty is ready to receive them. They're air traffic controllers who prove that distance isn't an obstacle to good neighborly relations.
Ekaterina Isaeva, Sergey Chikharev for Vesti from Magadan.
