Every time Jimmy Carter flew Delta, he shook hands with each person on the plane. Because that’s who he was. Someone who treated people as people. pic.twitter.com/mnWiiDwaZ3
— Delta (@Delta) December 30, 2024
Heartwarming video shows President Jimmy Carter shaking hands with every passenger on board a Delta flight in 2017 — as tributes pour in for the late commander-in-chief, who died Sunday.
A smiling Carter, then 92, greeted delighted travelers as he walked through the commercial aircraft leaving Atlanta International Airport for Washington, DC.
“This is amazing, how are you?” a flier can be heard asking Carter in the clip, while another expresses her admiration.
“Every time Jimmy Carter flew Delta, he shook hands with each person on the plane. Because that’s who he was. Someone who treated people as people,” Delta Airlines wrote on X alongside the footage.
Carter — the longest-living US president — died Sunday in Plains, Ga. at age 100, after spending nearly two years in hospice care.
He leaves behind four children, 11 grandchildren and 14 grandchildren.
His wife of more than seven decades, Rosalynn Cartner, passed away in November 2023. She was 96.
The 39th US president, a frequent Delta traveler, often accommodated a hopeful passenger’s request for a selfie.
“It’s hard to put into words what a nice reprieve from the current political theater this moment was,” passenger James Parker Sheffield, who filmed the viral video, told WSBTV at the time.
“His enthusiasm was authentic and humble, in a way that made things feel less heavy for a moment.”
Other fliers shared similar fond experiences of Carter’s unique greetings across domestic and international flights.
Unlimited CEO and CIO Bob Elliott recalled flying alongside the president on an Atlanta-bound flight.
“He walked through the cabin greeting everyone and taking a few moments to talk to many folks on the plane. Hard to imagine any President since doing the same,” Elliott recalled on X.
“I was once on a flight from Amsterdam back to the US when — to our surprise — President Carter boarded the plane,” author Gregory K. Riggen said. “He did, indeed, walk through the plane, shaking hands with every single person onboard. I was thrilled to have had the honor of meeting him.”
“My oldest son, my wife and I shook hands with President Carter on Delta flights, actually I did it two times,” another Delta passenger added. “He went (through) the whole airplane and shook hands with all willing!”
President Biden ordered an official state funeral to be held for Carter in Washington, DC, and issued a proclamation that Jan. 9, 2025 serve as a National Day of Mourning across the US.
According to the AJC, Carter will be buried on his family property alongside Rosalynn following ceremonies in his hometown Plains, Ga.; Atlanta and Washington, DC.
