- Bette Nash, the world's longest serving flight attendant, has died of cancer at the age of 88.
- Nash began his career with Eastern Airlines in 1957.
- She has witnessed major changes in air travel, from the jet age to post-9/11 security measures.
The world's longest serving flight attendant has died of cancer at the age of 88.
in X Statement“We mourn the passing of Bette Nash, who served customers on our flights for nearly seven decades,” American Airlines said on Twitter.
“She joined the company in 1957 and holds the Guinness World Record for being the longest serving flight attendant. Bette has inspired generations of flight attendants. Fly high, Bette,” the post continues.
Nash never formally retired from her position at American Airlines. She was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and died in hospice care.
Nash got her first job as a flight attendant for Eastern Airlines, which would later become American Airlines, in 1957 while Dwight D. Eisenhower was in the White House.
“You had to be a certain height and a certain weight. It used to be awful. If you gained a few pounds, you'd have to keep weighing yourself, and if you continued to do that, your pay would go down,” Nash previously told ABC affiliate WJLA about her early career.
She told ABC News in 2022 that a flight between New York and Washington, D.C. cost just $12 at the time, adding that passengers could even buy life insurance from vending machines before boarding the plane.
Nash has seen significant change in the aviation industry throughout his career. Deregulation, of Computer RevolutionThese include enhanced security measures following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
She also saw flying become increasingly accessible following the boom in commercial air travel in the 1950s.
According to the National Air and Space Museum, by 1955 more Americans were traveling by air than by train, and by 1957 airplanes had replaced ocean liners as the preferred means of crossing the Atlantic.
Just as Nash was starting up his business, jet passenger service began in the United States with the arrival of the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8 airliners.
“The jet engine revolutionized air travel. Its powerful and durable nature allowed aircraft manufacturers to build larger, faster and more productive passenger aircraft,” the National Air and Space Museum says on its website, adding that by 1972, almost half of Americans had flown.
The Association of Professional Flight Attendants said in a statement that Nash “touched many with her warmth, dedication and service.”
“Rest in peace, Bet. You will never be forgotten,” he added.
