Heart-warming moment emotional pilot breaks down in tears as he tells his passengers including his family it is his final flight as he retires after 32 years of service with American Airlines – before they all burst into applause
- Jeff Fell took his last ever passengers from Charlotte to Chicago
- The plane erupted in applause as he addressed his wife and family in a speech
An American Airlines pilot delivered a huge ovation with an emotional farewell speech during the final flight of his 32-year career with the company.
Jeff Fell’s words were overheard by one of the passengers as they prepared to take off from Charlotte, North Carolina, when he gave his pre-flight instructions in front of those traveling rather than over the PA.
After welcoming the passengers on board, he revealed that he was retiring and that this was his last trip as a pilot, and he started to choke up as he addressed his family sitting in the back of the plane.
“If I get a little emotional, please forgive me,” he said. ‘I don’t normally get up in front of everyone like that, I usually just stay in the cockpit and talk on the PA.
“I’d like to take a moment before we leave for Chicago tonight, and I’d like to thank a group of very important people for me who are on the flight – most of them sitting in the back of the plane – and they make up the majority of my family who came with me on my retirement flight.’
American Airlines pilot Jeff Fell (pictured) delivered a huge ovation with an emotional farewell speech on the final flight of his 32-year career
Fell’s words were overheard by one of the passengers as they prepared to take off from Charlotte, North Carolina
Fell struggled not to cry as he addressed his wife and family on board the flight
The pensioner was applauded when he revealed why his family joined him on the flight.
“They are on my retirement flight after 32 years at American,” he read from a prepared speech.
“Thank you all for joining me tonight and celebrating this very momentous time in my life. I love you all.’
The passengers burst into more applause before Fell interrupted and added: “I didn’t want to get emotional, but goodness gracious.”
Ultimately, he singled out his wife for individual praise as the “solid rock in the foundation of our lives and our marriage.”
Fell ended, “I love you and look forward to the next chapter in our lives. And welcome aboard everyone.”
The speech was filmed by one of the passengers and uploaded to TikTok and was viewed more than three million times.
More than half a million of those viewers liked the post and thousands responded to supportive messages.
One said: ‘I was on the run! I gave him a hug after this announcement.’
Another wrote: ‘Also 32 years of safe landings. God bless him and all the pilots.”
A subsequent message from the same passenger showed Fell being honored with a water cannon salute upon landing at O’Hare International Airport, Chicago.
This tradition marks the retirement of a senior pilot and other notable events, involving two airport fire trucks shooting water over a passing aircraft.
Justin Harrison, who posted the clips, said he felt “privileged to be here.”