'67 Years Above the Clouds' - 88-Year-Old Flight Attendant with the World's Longest Service Takes to the Skies

American Airlines Vet Nae, 88, Passes Away as Active Duty
Company Mourns "Industry Icon Who Cared for Passengers for 70 Years"

Bet Nash, the world's longest-serving flight attendant who worked for an astonishing 67 years, affiliated with American Airlines, passed away at the age of 88.

On the 26th (local time), US media outlets CBS News, CNN, etc. reported Nash's death, citing announcements from American Airlines and the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA), a union coalition of US airline flight attendants. Nash never officially retired and died while still an active employee. He had recently been diagnosed with breast cancer and passed away on the 13th while receiving treatment in a hospice ward.

American Airlines' post expressing condolences on the passing of Bae Nae-shi, the world's longest-serving flight attendant [Image source=Captured from American Airlines social media (SNS), Yonhap News]

American Airlines expressed condolences in a statement posted on social media, saying, "We mourn Bet's passing. Bet, who kindly cared for customers in the skies for nearly 70 years, was an 'icon' in the industry. Those who worked with him know well his impeccable professionalism." APFA also posted a tribute on Facebook offering condolences to his family and friends, stating, "Nash will be part of our history. He inspired flight attendants across multiple generations and will never be forgotten."

Nash began his flight attendant career in November 1957 at Eastern Airlines in Washington DC, the predecessor of American Airlines. After his first assignment on the route between Washington DC and Boston, he worked in the skies for over 60 years. Nash primarily worked short-haul routes between Washington DC and Boston to care for his son, who was born with Down syndrome. During this time, Eastern Airlines changed its name to Trump Shuttle, then US Air Shuttle, and eventually American Airlines.

The longest-serving flight attendant in the world, Viet Nashi of American Airlines [Image source=Captured from American Airlines Facebook, Yonhap News]

In a 2016 interview with CNN, while still active at age 80, Nash said, "I wanted to be a flight attendant ever since I first flew with my mother at age 16." Six years later, in 2022, he was listed in the Guinness World Records as the longest-serving flight attendant. The record he set was "a flight attendant who worked 63 years and 61 days as of January 4, 2021."

In a 2022 interview with ABC News, Nash shared anecdotes from when he first started as a flight attendant, noting that a one-way ticket between New York and Washington DC cost only $12 (about 16,000 KRW) and that the company strictly controlled flight attendants' weight and private lives at the time. He also mentioned how the work environment changed from analog to digital, recalling that he initially used chalkboards but later had to adapt to tablets.