Airline pilot holds plane for family of murdered toddler

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By Lewis Bazley
Last updated at 1:22 PM on 13th January 2011

He was under pressure to stick to his ultra-tight schedule.

But in an act of extraordinary kindness, a Southwest Airlines pilot delayed his plane by 12 minutes to ensure a passenger would be able to say goodbye to his murdered grandson.

The man’s three-year-old grandchild had been killed by his daughter’s live-in boyfriend in Denver and was due to be taken off life support ahead of donating his organs.

More than 25 people will receive his gift tonight and many lives will be saved.

Compassion: A Southwest Airlines pilot delayed a flight by 12 minutes to allow a man to travel to Denver and say goodbye to his murdered grandson

Having been in Los Angeles on business, the man’s wife had arranged for him to transfer at Tucson airport in Arizona onto a flight bound for Denver to be with his bereaved daughter.

 

Yet, despite arriving at Los Angeles International Airport two hours before his flight was due to depart, lengthy check-in lines meant he faced a race against time to board on schedule.

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Even after sprinting from the security checkpoint in his socks, the grandfather still arrived at the departure gate 12 minutes late.

But in an age of low-cost, uncomfortable aviation, the intervention of a Southwest pilot and ticketing agent found some decency in a tragic situation.

According to a letter written to travel blog Elliott.org by the man’s wife, he was greeted by the pilot and ticketing agent with the words: ‘Are you Mark? We held the plane for you and we're so sorry about the loss of your grandson.’

The flight had been due to take off at 11:50am that morning but had been held until 12:02 to allow the man to board the plane.

The letter continues: ‘As my husband walked down the Jetway with the pilot, he said, "I can't thank you enough for this."

‘The pilot responded with, "They can't go anywhere without me and I wasn't going anywhere without you. Now relax. We'll get you there. And again, I'm so sorry."’

Thanks to the kindness of the pilot, the man was able to reach his daughter in Denver and bid farewell to his grandson.

Commenting on the compassion of its employees, a Southwest spokesperson said the airline was ‘proud’ of the pilot’s behaviour.

 

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