The world’s longest-tenured flight attendant, Bette Nash, passed away at the age of 88 after serving in aviation for almost 67 years.
“It is with sadness that we inform you of the passing of our dear colleague, Bette Nash, the longest-tenured flight attendant at American Airlines,” according to a memo to flight attendants on Saturday.
Despite never having formally retired from her position with American Airlines, Nash passed away on May 17 in hospice care following a recent breast cancer diagnosis.
In 1957, Nash started working for Eastern Airlines in Washington, D.C.; this airline subsequently changed its name to American Airlines. Nash could travel any route in the world, but her main route was the DC-NY-Boston Shuttle, which allowed her to return home every night to take care of her Down syndrome kid.
She was recognized in 2022 by being awarded the Guinness World Record for the longest-serving flight attendant.
“With her quick wit, magnetic personality and passion for serving others, Bette set an example not just for the flight attendant profession but for all of us in the airline industry,” Brady Byrnes, senior vice president of Inflight & Premium Guest Services for American Airlines, wrote in the email.
When Nash began her aviation career, flights between New York and Washington cost $12, and passengers had to purchase life insurance from a vending machine before boarding. D.C., she said in an interview in 2022.
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At the time, Nash thought back on the severe limitations on weight and personal connections that she and other flight attendants had to put up with in order to keep their jobs.
Nash explained that since flight attendants had to be unmarried, the airline would visit her at home to make sure she wasn’t living with a male. She added that the airline weighed her prior to each shift and threatened to suspend her if she put on too much weight.
“You had to be a certain height, you had to be a certain weight. It used to be horrible. You put on a few pounds and you had to keep weighing yourself, and then if you stayed that way, they would take you off the payroll,” During a flight in 2017, Nash stated.
Nash completed routine flight attendant training in accordance with Federal Aviation Administration regulations prior to her death.
According to the airline’s message, “Bette was an industry icon, and those who flew with her knew her as a role model and consummate professional,” so “Fly high, Bette. You’ll be missed.”
