Two nanas take to the skies for the first time (heartwarming video)

Updated



A touching video of two grandmothers travelling on an aeroplane for the first time has been posted on YouTube - and is sure to pull at your heartstrings.

The video shows the nanas, in their 70s, conquering their fears and forging a new friendship.

An and Ria, from the Netherlands, never had the chance to fly, or were too scared to. An, 71, said she was so scared of flying she "wouldn't fly if you paid her". While Ria, 78, only ever travelled with her late husband, who wouldn't fly as he had a fear of heights.

They made their first plane trip in style, travelling by private jet from Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport to Barcelona, and used a tablet device to stay in touch with their loved ones at either end.

Before the flight, An revealed a serious fear of flying. "You won't get me in there," she said. "Not even for money." But just ahead of her 72nd birthday, she decided: "If I don't do this now, I never will. Sometimes opportunities come by in life that you just have to take."

Ria, meanwhile, said that since her late husband passed away, she has resisted any opportunity to travel far afield. After being partnered with An through the Vodafone Firsts project, Ria once again had a travel companion – and her desire to travel returned. She said: "I've now got this opportunity, but otherwise I don't think I would have ever flown. This is so exciting!"

Both women prepared for their first-ever flight in their own unique ways. Ria rode a rollercoaster to get used to the thrill of being airborne, while An attempted to calm her nerves by taking a flight simulator ride. Despite qualms from An and Ria's pre-take-off anxiety, they soon conquered their fears and were captivated by the beauty of the view from the jet's windows.

An and Ria documented their momentous journey and connected with their loved ones along the way. On an emotional video call with her husband Jan when she arrived in Barcelona, An told him: "It was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed it and the other lady's so kind. It's just like a dream."

The nanas' first ever flight was captured for Vodafone Firsts, a programme which helps people do remarkable things for the first time.



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