The loved ones got to work alongside each other up in the air, within the terminal and on the tarmac.
For people who work with airlines, they are often traveling around the world and working odd shifts, unable to spend special days or holidays with their families. But for this year's Father's Day, British Airways made sure some of those families could be together.
The airline staffed a flight from London to San Diego on Saturday with father-son and father-daughter teams — who all work for British Airways. The loved ones got to work alongside each other up in the air, within the terminal and on the tarmac. None of the pairs had ever worked together before.
British Airways Captain Martin Ewins said it was a "special feeling" being able to share the office for the day with his daughter Rachel.
“For 20 years my daughter watched me fly around the world and I’m so proud that I’ve inspired her to do the same as cabin crew," Ewins said in a British Airways statement. "I was incredibly proud of her, and from the moment we stepped onto the plane we weren’t father and daughter, but two members of a flying crew getting ready to operate a flight."
Lois Mackerness, a member of the cabin crew, said her dad, David, inspired her to get into the business.
“Growing up seeing the pride and passion my Dad has for caring for his customers really encouraged me to work hard and make sure that I love what I do too. It was great to work on board together. I picked up some of his top tips that he’s learnt through his many years of flying," she said.
British Airways said it was the idea of finally bringing these families together for a special day that gave way to the new crew assignments — allowing the dads and their kids to have a shared experience in their shared profession.
“So many of our people have been inspired to work for British Airways because of the experiences of other family members and this was a fantastic opportunity to create a really special moment for everyone involved. It’s great to be able to reward the fathers in our teams who have inspired the next generation of aviation enthusiasts," said Ian Romanis, British Airways’ head of mixed fleet cabin crew.
And it was the ability to spend more time with his son Craig that made the flight special for cabin crew member Andrew Obal.
“With both myself and my son often working in different time zones and countries around the world, it sometimes means that we celebrate special days like birthdays and Christmas on different dates. Father’s Day is of extra importance for us as my son is now a father too, so being a part of this flight and watching my son serve our customers was such a special moment," he said.
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