EDITOR’S NOTE

Choosing the same profession also means sharing its pressures, challenges and unforgettable moments. For many couples, working in the same field gives them a deeper understanding of each other, allowing them to share the burden and stand side by side not only at work but also in family life.

The series “Couples in the same profession: Together through work and life” tells the real-life stories of husbands and wives who share a profession, exploring how they navigate career pressures, support each other at work and build a life together.

A love story that began on a flight

Nguyen Thi Ngoc Ha, born in 1991, is originally from Hung Yen but was born and raised in Ho Chi Minh City. She works as a flight attendant for Emirates. Her husband, Alessio Mitelli, known as Ale, was born in 1994 and is an Italian pilot with flydubai. The couple currently lives in Dubai.

Their love story began in 2018 with a first impression that was anything but promising.

That year, Ha and Ale, who was also an Emirates flight attendant at the time, worked together for the first time on the same flight. To the Italian, the Vietnamese flight attendant seemed rather cold and difficult to approach. Ha, meanwhile, found her new colleague a little “annoying” because he talked so much.

“When we first met, we both thought the other person wasn’t our type,” Ha recalled with a laugh.

But as they spent more time together with the crew, each began to realize that the other was not quite as bad as they had initially imagined. Ale was even struck by love at first sight after their first dinner during a layover, and spent the next three months persistently pursuing his colleague.

“I could see how determined he was, so I decided to give him a chance. After about six months of talking, we officially started dating,” Ha said.

Over eight years together, the couple has experienced every shade of a relationship, from happiness and tenderness to challenges so difficult that they sometimes wondered whether they could continue.

One of their greatest tests came with the outbreak of COVID-19. The aviation industry almost ground to a halt as flights were canceled. Ha’s work was disrupted, while Ale’s pilot training was also interrupted.

Financial pressure, uncertainty about the future and cultural differences that became more apparent as they spent so much time together pushed their relationship into crisis. At one point, they even considered breaking up.

“What made me stay was Ale’s calmness. He taught me to accept our differences instead of trying to change each other,” Ha said.

Living and working far from their families, they gradually became each other’s closest source of support through both happiness and hardship. In time, they realized they had found the person with whom they wanted to spend the rest of their lives.

In early 2021, the couple legally registered their marriage after Ale’s romantic proposal. The pandemic, however, forced them to postpone their wedding.

When Ha became pregnant with their first child in 2022, Ale again put the wedding plans on hold so his wife could focus on her pregnancy. Instead, they devoted their time to building their home and waited for the right moment to celebrate their marriage properly.

Building a marriage on understanding

Ha gave birth to their first child in Dubai in late 2022. Ale continued flying while completing his pilot training, yet made sure he was by his wife’s side during the moments that mattered most.

After Ha underwent a C-section, Ale stayed close to care for both mother and baby. He helped his wife take her first steps after surgery, changed their child’s first diaper and arranged for someone to help whenever his work took him away from home.

“Since having our baby, I have never had to go through anything alone,” Ha said.

Their marriage has been nurtured through mutual respect and understanding. Because both work in aviation, they understand the pressures that come with the profession: long flights, irregular schedules and prolonged periods away from family. That shared experience has helped create deep trust between them, leaving little room for jealousy.

“If only one of us worked in this profession, there would probably be moments when it would be difficult to understand or trust each other. But because we both experience the same pressures at work, we have complete trust in each other. Working in the same industry, we understand how important rest is after a long flight. So we don’t disturb each other or complain about little things,” Ha said.

Yet sharing such an unusual profession also brings its own difficulties. Sometimes both have long trips and must be away from their child. At other times, one arrives home just as the other is preparing to take off.

After long-haul flights, jet lag can turn their daily routines upside down. Weekends and public holidays sometimes mean very little in their household. Birthdays, anniversaries and other important occasions may have to be celebrated earlier or later because one of them is scheduled to fly.

“Our most familiar messages to each other are, ‘Have you landed yet?’ and ‘Have you boarded yet?’ We dream of traveling the world together, but there have been times when we have both been in the same city and still couldn’t be together. That is probably the most interesting paradox of being a couple in aviation: we conquer the skies together, yet finding a single day to stay home together can be surprisingly difficult,” Ha said.

To balance their careers and family life, Ha and Ale actively coordinate their flight schedules. Whenever one is away flying, the other takes care of the home and their child. When their days off coincide, the family goes out together and makes the most of those precious moments.

After postponing their celebration twice because of the pandemic and then the arrival of their child, Ha and Ale are now eagerly preparing for their wedding celebrations. Their plans include an intimate reception in Ho Chi Minh City, a traditional wedding ceremony in Hung Yen and another celebration in Italy.

For Ha, amid the constant arrivals and departures of people and flights in Dubai, her greatest fortune has not been the chance to set foot in countries around the world. It has been finding someone who gives her a peaceful place to call home.

Perhaps that has been the most beautiful “flight” of her life.

Thanh Minh