Bette Nash, holder of the Guinness World Record for longest-serving flight attendant, has died at the age of 88, according to statements from American Airlines and the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA).

“We mourn the passing of Bette Nash, who spent nearly seven decades warmly caring for our customers in the air,” American Airlines said in a statement posted on X.

“She started in 1957 and held the Guinness World Record for longest-serving flight attendant. Bette inspired generations of flight attendants. Fly high, Bette.”

The Association of Professional Flight Attendants, the union representing flight attendants in the United States, posted its own tribute to Nash on Facebook.

“Bette’s remarkable career spanned over six decades, during which she touched countless lives with her warmth, dedication and unparalleled service,” said the post.

Nash started her lifelong career with the now-defunct Eastern Airlines in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 4, 1957.

In 2016, CNN had an opportunity to fly with her on her daily route from Reagan Washington National to Boston Logan on American Airlines. Nash, who was 80 at the time, said the romance and glamor of flying initially attracted her to the job.

Nash said she went on to get a college degree, but she never deviated from her dream.

She applied for a job as a stewardess, as flight attendants were then known, shortly after graduating.

According to ABC News, Nash never officially retired from her role with American Airlines and died on May 17 in hospice care.

Nash was awarded the Guinness World Record for having the longest career as a flight attendant in early 2022.

“Her career surpasses the last longest flight attendant with 63 years, 61 days as of Jan. 4, 2021,” said the Guinness announcement.

Nash saw many changes in the world of aviation over those six-plus decades of flight. Planes were places of luxury when she started flying, a time when everyone wore their Sunday best and ate lobster on real china.

“You worked harder physically in those days,” said Nash. “We served this big meal tray. And I was the only one on the plane, so I had to take care of everybody.”

But the biggest changes she witnessed over the years related to technology. When Nash first began flying, all flight schedules were chalked up on a blackboard, and manuals and regulations came in book form.

Eventually, those papers were replaced with tablets — which she says was a big adjustment.

(SD-Agencies)

Words to Learn

相关词汇

【空姐】 kōngjiě

stewardess

one who attends passengers (as on an airplane)

【倒闭的】 dǎobì de

defunct

no longer existing or functioning

美国航空公司和美国职业空乘协会（APFA）发表声明称，吉尼斯 “服务时间最长空姐”世界纪录的保持者贝蒂•纳什去世，享年88岁。

美国航空公司在社交媒体平台X上发布声明说：“我们对贝蒂•纳什去世表示哀悼，她为我们的客户提供了近70年的热情服务。贝蒂1957年入职，是吉尼斯世界纪录中服务时间最长的空姐。她激励了一代又一代的空乘人员。高飞吧，贝蒂。”

代表美国空乘人员的工会APFA也在Facebook上发帖悼念。

该工会说：“贝蒂的职业生涯长达六十多年，期间她的热情、奉献精神和无与伦比的服务感动了无数人。”

1957年11月4日，贝蒂在华盛顿特区现已解散的东方航空公司开始了她的职业生涯。

2016年，美国有线电视新闻网（CNN）有幸与她一起乘坐美国航空公司的航班，从里根华盛顿国家机场飞往波士顿洛根机场。当时已经80岁的贝蒂说，最初吸引她的是飞行的浪漫魅力。

贝蒂拿到了大学学位，但梦想从未改变。

毕业后不久，她就申请了一份空姐的工作。

美国广播公司新闻报道说，贝蒂并未从美国航空公司正式退休，5月17日在临终关怀医院去世。

2022年初，贝蒂因其超长工龄被授予吉尼斯世界纪录。

吉尼斯公告称：“截至 2021年1月4日，她的工作年限超过了上一位记录保持者，长达63年61天。”

在六十多年的飞行生涯中，贝蒂见证了航空业的许多变化。曾经，飞机代表奢侈的生活方式，那时每个人都盛装来坐飞机，飞机餐是瓷盘端上来的龙虾。她说：“那个年代，工作更辛苦。我们的餐盘很大，飞机上只有我一个空姐，必须照顾好每个人。”

这些年来，她目睹的最大变化是技术带来的。贝蒂刚开始飞行时，航班时刻表用粉笔写在黑板上，手册和规章都是纸质小册子的，现在一切都存在平板电脑里。

(Translated by Debra)