Carol Fair has been flying the friendly skies for more than six decades. At the age of 83, the most senior flight attendant with American Airlines is now ready to come down to earth, announcing she plans to retire after one last flight.
As Forbes reports, Fair is currently the most senior flight attendant of the 30,000 or so employed by the airline.
‘It’s Time’ to Retire
Speaking with Forbes, Fair recalled her very first flight to London, her first time in a jumbo jet after working in smaller aircraft.
“I was so excited, I didn’t sleep the night before,” she said. “I went from a DC-3 to a 767. I thought I had died and gone to heaven.”
Looking back at her 63-and-a-half years in the air, Fair has nothing but fond memories — but feels the time is right to pack it in.
“It’s time,” Fine said. “I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. I made No. 1 out of 30,000. You can’t go any higher, so I might as well hang it up
Honors Along the Way
Among the many honors that Fair has received over the years include membership in both the North Carolina and Tennessee aviation halls of fame, while a recent exhibit on her extraordinary career is featured in the Sullenberger Aviation Museum.
A plaque displayed in her home, Forbes reports, reads: “Fair became a flight attendant with Piedmont Airlines in 1963, soon after the airline began hiring female stewardesses. She is a dedicated advocate for flight attendant rights and a goodwill ambassador for the South’s beloved former ‘Route of the Pacemakers,’ Piedmont Airlines. Featured in magazines, newspapers and television interviews, Carol gives speeches about Piedmont’s marvelous history. She was also inducted into the North Carolina Transportation Hall of Fame in 2008.”
“I’m notorious,” quipped Fair.
Full Circle
During the latter part of her career, Fair almost exclusively worked on international flights. “They are vented better,” she explains.
Over the years, she’s worked with countless pilots. “I’ve been flying a lot longer than some of them have been alive,” she said, “but if I need help they back me up 100 percent.”
Fair started her career with Piedmont Airlines, which was absorbed by USAir in 1989. USAir later became US Airways, which merged with American in 2015. Fair is one of just a few dozen Piedmont flight attendants who remain with American.
Interestingly, she revealed that she’d originally applied to be a flight attendant with American, but did not get the job.
“They said I wasn’t American material,” she said.
American Airlines’ Most Senior Flight Attendant to Retire At 83 After 63 Years On the Job