‘You can’t go any higher’: American Airlines’ most senior flight attendant retires

Carol Fair, 83, retired as American Airlines' most senior flight attendant after 63 years. (Source: WCNC via CNN Newsource)
Published: Oct. 27, 2026 at 8:49 AM EDT|Updated: 2 hours ago

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Gray News) - American Airlines’ most senior flight attendant is retiring after nearly 64 years with the company.

Carol Fair has worked as a flight attendant for 63 years.

At 83, she is retiring at the top of American Airlines’ seniority list.

“It’s time. 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,” Fair said in an interview with Forbes.

Her last trip was on an American Airlines flight from London to Charlotte, North Carolina, on Monday.

A crowd celebrated Fair when the plane landed at Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

Fair is a 2008 inductee of the North Carolina Transportation Hall of Fame and is also a member of the Tennessee Aviation Hall of Fame. Her career is also featured in an exhibit at the Sullenberger Aviation Museum.