Bárbara is a flight attendant who chooses to work on Flight 601 after it gets hijacked. In The Hijacking of Flight 601, Angela Cano plays Bárbara Gallo.
On the day Aerobolivar Flight 601 is hijacked, Bárbara breaks up with a pilot she is having an affair with when he refuses to leave his wife for her.
Bárbara is Edie’s friend and the only one who is aware that Edie has three children. Whenever Edie gets held up because of her children, Bárbara covers for her.
Despite Bárbara’s help, Edie misses her flight, which happens to be Flight 601. To keep her job, Edie agrees to be sent on the flight after news of the hijacking comes out.
Refusing to let her friend risk her life alone, Bárbara joins her. They promise each other that they will go and come back together, alive and well.
Making sacrifices for a better life
Bárbara proves to be a huge help to Edie throughout the hijacking. Whenever Edie’s plans go awry, it is Bárbara who comforts her.
Additionally, when Edie works on her plans, Bárbara distracts the hijackers, and she does it exceptionally well.
However, there comes a time when Bárbara loses her temper while confronting a bigoted passenger who keeps making things difficult during the hijacking.
For the first time, Bárbara admits that she is tired of putting on a smiling face all the time, a lesson she had earlier confidently taught a rookie.
She tells Edie that in the place she comes from, women’s futures are bleak; they either become sex workers or maids.
Bárbara had to make sacrifices to get out of that place, including sacrificing her real name, which is Maria Eugenia, among others.
Despite hating her job, she cannot quit because she does not have other options, so she continues working as a flight attendant, even though it makes her miserable.
She hopes that one day she will smile because she is genuinely happy, not because the job she needs for survival requires it.
The impact of hijacking on Bárbara’s life
Bárbara handles the hijackers tactfully, appearing unassuming as she feeds them drugged sandwiches.
This approach proves invaluable, as the crew continues to plot against the hijackers and Bárbara discreetly passes plans and items without raising suspicion.
Eusebio comes to trust Bárbara and reveals his real name to her. He tries to make Bárbara believe that he is not a bad person.
While holding him responsible for committing a murder, Bárbara, who is good at reading people, comes to realize that he did not kill anyone; his victim is still alive.
Bárbara then convinces him to let her and Edie save the man, telling him that he is not a killer and that it is not too late.
Soon after, the hijacking comes to an end, thanks to the crew’s efforts. As per their plan, Bárbara does not tell the authorities the truth about Wilches’ kidnapping.
Once the whole ordeal is over, Bárbara tells Edie that she has decided to quit her job. When Bárbara faced death during the hijacking, she felt relief before fear.
The experience makes her realize just how tired she is of playing the character of Bárbara. She now knows that she needs a break from the life she has created.
Initially hesitant, Bárbara goes to Brazil to meet Eusebio, where they start their new lives together. Bárbara continues to keep in touch with Edie, who now calls her Maria.
Also Read: Ulises/Eusebio Borja: The Hijacking of Flight 601 character explained