The Record-Breaking Flight Attendant: Remembering Bette Nash and Her 70 Years in the Sky

Bette Nash, the world’s longest-serving flight attendant, has passed away at the age of 88. American Airlines, her longtime employer, announced her death on social media, acknowledging her nearly 70 years of dedicated service to customers in the air. Nash was described as a legend at American and in the industry, inspiring generations of flight attendants. The Association of Professional Flight Attendants shared a tribute to Nash online, highlighting her career that began with Eastern Airlines in 1957 and eventually brought her to American after they acquired Eastern’s routes in 1990.

Nash passed away on May 17 in hospice care following a recent breast cancer diagnosis, while still employed with American Airlines. Guinness World Records confirmed Nash’s title as the world’s longest-serving flight attendant, a record she achieved in January 2022 after surpassing the previous record the year before. Nash was born on December 31, 1935, and began her flight attendant career at the age of 21. She shared in a 2016 interview with CNN that she knew she wanted to be a flight attendant from the time she first saw a pilot and flight attendant walk by when she was 16 years old. After graduating from college, Nash applied for the job in the air and the rest, as she put it