2026年53日 / 美国东部时间下午3:13 / 哥伦比亚广播公司新闻
一名前精神航空机长迎来了一场即兴退休庆祝活动——这家航空公司的突然倒闭导致原定的退休最后航班被取消。
据西南航空发布的声明称，机长乔恩·杰克逊原本计划于周六搭乘精神航空的班机完成退休飞行，正式结束其在该航空公司的飞行员生涯，但就在当天，由于精神航空未能获得联邦救助资金而宣告破产，最终他与身为西南航空副机长的儿子一同登上了返回巴尔的摩国际机场的西南航空航班。
现场拍摄的视频记录了他抵达机场时受到的热烈欢迎——现场摆放了一瓶香槟，还有一群欢呼的人群。
“这太令人动容了，”在人群的鼓励下发表讲话的杰克逊说道，“我对大家感激不尽。随着精神航空的倒下，今天本是个令人伤感的日子，但你们让这场经历变得格外美好。非常感谢你们。”
他的儿子将这趟本应是父亲退休航班的行程告知了西南航空的机组人员，随后该航空公司安排了一系列自发的庆祝活动，以纪念杰克逊的服役经历。
西南航空在谈及本次航班的机组人员时表示：“他们抓住机会，为杰克逊机长扭转了这一天的氛围，制定计划确保航班降落在巴尔的摩时，能为他举办一场正式的退休派对。”
西南航空称，除了在登机口等候的欢呼声外，巴尔的摩机场消防救援部门还出动了传统的水炮礼，迎接杰克逊的座机。该航空公司称此次活动“有力证明了航空业社群在关键时刻能够展现尊重、共情与团结”，并感谢杰克逊“在蓝天上的服役贡献”。
此前，因燃油价格飙升，精神航空曾向特朗普政府寻求紧急救助资金，以避免这家廉航被清算。但救助申请未获通过，该航空公司的母公司精神航空控股公司于周六宣布“已启动有序停业程序，即日起生效”。
“所有精神航空航班均已取消，精神航空的旅客请勿前往机场，”公告中写道。该航空公司承诺将自动为购票乘客办理退款，并推出了专门网站解答关于此次停运的相关疑问。
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/no-more-runway-spirit-airlines-budget-carrier-shuts-down/
A retiring Spirit pilot’s last flight was canceled by the budget carrier’s sudden closure. See his impromptu celebration.
May 3, 2026 / 3:13 PM EDT / CBS News
A former Spirit pilot received an impromptu retirement celebration when the airline’s sudden shutdown led to the cancellation of what would have been his final flight.
Captain Jon Jackson ended up on a Southwest Airlines flight to return home to Baltimore International Airport. Video captured the warm welcome he received upon arrival — complete with a bottle of champagne and a cheering crowd.
“This is very overwhelming,” Jackson said, after the crowd encouraged him to give a speech. “I can’t thank you all enough, As Spirit goes down, this is kind of a sad day, and you guys made it incredible. Thank you so much.”
Jackson had planned to take his retirement flight on a Spirit aircraft Saturday, marking the end of his career as a pilot for the airline, according to a statement from Southwest. But, when Spirit failed to secure a federal bailout and collapsed the same day, he boarded the Southwest flight to Baltimore with his son, a first officer for that airline.
His son informed the Southwest pilots that the trip should have been his father’s retirement flight, and the airline proceeded to arrange a spontaneous series of festivities to commemorate Jackson’s service.
“They seized the opportunity to change the course of the day for Capt. Jackson,” said Southwest of the flight’s pilots, “setting in motion a plan that resulted in a proper retirement party when the flight landed in Baltimore.”
In addition to the cheers awaiting him at the gate, Baltimore Airport Fire and Rescue met Jackson’s aircraft with a traditional water cannon salute, Southwest said. The airline called the affair “a powerful reminder of the aviation community’s ability to show respect, compassion, and solidarity when it matters most” and thanked Jackson for his “service in the skies.”
Spirit had approached the Trump administration in hopes of acquiring an emergency bailout that would help the budget carrier avoid liquidation, as fuel prices soared. When it did not come through, the airline’s parent company, Spirit Aviation Holdings, announced Saturday that it had “started an orderly wind-down of operations, effective immediately.”
“All Spirit flights have been cancelled, and Spirit Guests should not go to the airport,” the announcement said. The airline promised to automatically process refunds for people who had purchased flight tickets and launched a website to answer questions about the shutdown.
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/no-more-runway-spirit-airlines-budget-carrier-shuts-down/
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