An American Airlines pilot has gone viral after he gave an emotional message to the passengers of his last flight before his retirement.

Pilot Jeff Fell began his final address like any other. He started by welcoming the passengers, giving them the estimated duration of the flight and the temperature of the place they would be landing in.

But as the announcement went on, Fell asked the passengers on the flight from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Chicago to forgive him if he “becomes a little emotional.” 

Fell, who remained standing at the front of the plane for the entire address, said in the video posted Nov. 9 that he wanted to thank some important people, “Most of them are in the back of the airplane and they’re the majority of my family who have come along with me on my retirement flight.”

As the passengers realize why Fell has become so emotional, they all burst into applause, leading him to smile and share that he has been working with American Airlines for 32 years.

“Thank you all for coming along with me tonight and celebrating this very memorable time in my life. I love all of you,” Fell said, choking up as passengers applauded him once more.

“I didn’t want to get emotional but goodness gracious,” Fell said in the video before proceeding to thank his wife Julie, who was not on the plane, but Fell wanted to thank her as well as she had “been by his side for the majority of my 32 years at American.”

Fell added, “She has been a solid rock and the foundation in our lives and our marriage. Her faith in the Lord, wisdom, strength, and love has guided our marriage and family throughout these years. I love you and look forward to the next chapter in our lives.”

The pilot began choking up again as he concluded the announcement with, “Welcome aboard everybody.” The passengers burst into cheers and applause as Fell hangs up the PA system and hugs a flight attendant.

The video, which was posted to TikTok by Justin (@realjharrison), has since amassed more than 3.3 million views with thousands of users commenting about how emotional Fell’s address made them.

One user commented, “He just seems like the sweetest soul ever.” Another wrote, “The way he talks about his wife OMFG I’m sobbing.”

After the TikTok of the pilot received so much attention, Justin posted another TikTok in response to a comment where a user wrote, “How awesome! I hope he got the cannon salute!” The video shows the plane driving under an arch of water made by two fire trucks.

The special tribute to the retiree made users even more emotional. One user commented, “(I’m) sobbing, such a special moment for him.” Another wrote, “I’m in tears. Happy retirement, sir. Wishing you the best!”

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