Spirit Airlines shut down unexpectedly Saturday, upending a retired pilot’s final flight. Here’s how his son and a fellow airline helped celebrate his achievement.
BALTIMORE — A Spirit Airlines pilot was set to take his retirement flight when the company abruptly halted all travel and shut down Saturday morning.
Instead of his retirement starting on a sad note, a Southwest Airlines crew honored Captain Jon Jackson’s retirement in a special way.
Instead of flying one last time before his retirement, Jackson found himself a passenger on a Southwest flight where his son was a first officer.
To honor his time as a pilot, the Baltimore Airport Fire & Rescue team wished Jackson well with a water cannon salute. When he deboarded the plane, he was met with cheers from the Baltimore Ground Operations Team and a bottle of champagne.
“Very overwhelming, I can’t thank you all enough,” Jackson said while holding the gifted bubbly. “As Spirit goes down, this is a sad day and you guys made it incredible. Thank you so much.”
“It was a powerful reminder of the aviation community’s ability to show respect, compassion, and solidarity when it matters most,” Southwest said in a social media post. “Above all, this moment was about honoring a fellow aviator. Congratulations, and thank you for your service in the skies, Capt. Jackson.”
Why did Spirit Airlines shut down?
The ultralow cost airline that lasted 34 years and employed about 17,000 people had gone bankrupt twice before, but said high oil prices, which have been rising because of the war with Iran, made it impossible to stay aloft.
“We are proud of the impact of our ultra-low-cost model on the industry over the last 34 years and had hoped to serve our guests for many years to come,” Spirit’s announcement said.