A Royal Jordanian senior cabin crew manager has died after a shuttle bus transporting airline crew from New York JFK Airport to their hotel overturned on the Long Island Expressway. Muath Farid Obeidat, who had served the airline for more than a decade, was killed alongside the bus driver, while several of his colleagues were injured.
The Royal Jordanian crew member killed in a bus crash in New York has been identified by Royal Jordanian as Muath Farid Obeidat, a senior cabin crew manager who had worked for the airline for more than a decade. He had just operated Royal Jordanian Flight RJ8261 from Amman to New York JFK before boarding the chartered transfer bus with fellow crew members.
The crash happened late on Monday, June 29, at around 11.45 pm, near the Greenpoint Avenue exit of the Long Island Expressway, not far from the Queens-Midtown Tunnel. According to police and local reports, the coach was involved in a multi-vehicle collision before it overturned and crossed into oncoming traffic.
Obeidat and the bus driver were both pronounced dead following the crash. Several other Royal Jordanian crew members were injured and taken for medical treatment. Royal Jordanian said the injured crew members were in stable condition and receiving the necessary care.
The bus was carrying 15 Royal Jordanian crew members, including two Thai flight attendants. It was transporting them from John F. Kennedy International Airport to their accommodation after their flight from Jordan arrived.
Emergency services responded to the scene shortly after the crash, which caused major disruption on the Long Island Expressway. The road was closed in both directions for several hours while rescue work took place and investigators examined the scene.
Remembering Muath
In a statement, Royal Jordanian expressed its “profound sorrow” over the incident and offered condolences to the family of the deceased crew member. The airline also wished the injured crew members a full and speedy recovery.
Obeidat was a senior figure among Royal Jordanian’s cabin crew community. Colleagues described him as “like a brother to all of us.” He leaves behind his wife and three-year-old daughter.
The tragedy has sent shockwaves through the Royal Jordanian family and the wider cabin crew community.
Authorities in New York are continuing to investigate the cause of the crash. No final determination has been made.
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