Betty Nash, the world’s longest-serving flight attendant, has died at the age of 88

NEW YORK (AP) — Betty Nash, once called the world’s longest-serving flight attendant, has died. She was 88 years old.

American Airlines, Nash’s employer, Announce Her death was posted on social media on Saturday. The carrier noted that Nash spent nearly 70 years warmly caring for customers in the air.

“Bette was a legend in America and throughout the industry, inspiring generations of flight attendants,” American said books in Facebook. “Fly high, Pete. We’ll miss you.”

According to the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, which also participated in honoring Nash ConnectedNash began her career as a flight attendant with Eastern Airlines in 1957. The union noted that she was based outside the Washington, D.C., area.

Nash’s position at Eastern eventually led to her move to American, which purchased several of Eastern’s lines in 1990.

The Associated Press has reached out to American and APFA for more information about Nash’s death on Tuesday. Letters of News mentioned that Nash died on May 17 while in a nursing home after being recently diagnosed with breast cancer. The outlet added that she never officially retired from American Airlines.

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Nash was child On December 31, 1935, she began her career as a flight attendant at the age of 21. In 2022, it entered the Guinness Book of Records The name of the thing Nash is the world’s longest serving flight attendant – officially surpassing the previous record one year ago, with 63 years and 61 days of service as of January 4, 2021.

“I wanted to be a flight attendant ever since I got on my first plane — I was 16, sitting with my mother on a green leather couch at Washington (Reagan National Airport),” Nash said. He told CNN in a 2016 interviewrecalling the awe she felt when she saw the cabin crew walking past her.

Nash told CNN she applied for a job in the air after graduating from college, “and the rest is history.”