China Eastern Airlines rewarded its captain He Chao with 3 million RMB ($443, 832) for preventing a collision between two planes at a Shanghai airport on Oct. 11. The cabin crew was also credited, and rewarded with 600,000 RMB.

The dangerous moment came on Oct. 11 when He's Airbus 320 jet was about to take off from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport. Before He's plane could enter the air, it encountered an Airbus 330 in its path along the runway. Fortunately, He made a correct decision at the critical moment to speeding up to take off and succeeded in evading a head-on crash by . The A320 was just 19 meters from the taxiing A330.

A subsequent investigation showed that air traffic control should be blamed for the incident. China's Civil Aviation Administration suggested that the control center and the crew members of the A330 who failed to maintain proper communication with the controller should be held accountable.

No matter who was at fault, it was He's quick thinking and response that prevented the accident from happening. As a result, the airline decided to reward the captain and crew members who saved hundreds of lives.