Now and then, you might come across stories of two family members sharing the same flight duty. In July, Captain Holly Petitt and First Officer Keely Petitt made history as Southwest Airlines’ first mother-daughter pilot duo. Following suit, Captain Kamelia Zarka and First Officer Maria Zarka achieved a similar milestone in early September, becoming Hawaiian Airlines’ inaugural mother-daughter flight team. On Father’s Day 2019, British Airways pleasantly surprised multiple families. Some fathers employed by the airline had the chance to work alongside their sons or daughters, who were also part of the airline’s workforce.
A family working for Icelandair said, “Hold my beer.”
The airline proudly presented Ingvar Mar Jónsson and his family, making a strong point: “A family that flies together stays together!” In this special instance, the entire Jónsson family played different roles in a flight for the Icelandic national airline.
Captain Ingvar skillfully maneuvered the plane, while his wife Sigríður and their three daughters served as flight attendants, warmly welcoming passengers aboard flight FI645 from Washington DC to Keflavik International Airport.
This wasn’t just a random event. When the family realized the possibility of all working together on the same flight, they approached their employer with the idea.
Icelandair gave the green light, and naturally, the airline shared this remarkable family affair with the world.
Iceland is a small country so flying can easily become a family affair. It was a once-in-a lifetime flight for pilot Ingvar, his wife Sigríður & 3 daughters: They welcomed passengers on their “family trip” between DC & @kefairport. A family that flies together stays together! pic.twitter.com/uHGp4xbFLv
— Icelandair (@Icelandair) August 31, 2022
The captain posted about the family gathering on his Facebook page, explaining why only 5/6 of the family could make it to Washington: “Almost everyone was there, except Nonni Ingvarsson, who stayed home to care for the dogs.” The youngest family member, a teenager, hasn’t decided yet if he’ll pursue the family’s career path.
Sigríður hails from an aviation-oriented family. Her dad and granddad both worked as flight controllers in the company. Sigríðar’s great-uncle served as an air traffic controller at Icelandair for many years. Her brother is currently an air traffic controller, and his wife works as a flight attendant. Additionally, Sigríðar’s sister is also a flight attendant.
The couple first met while working for the airline. Ingvar joined Icelandair in 1996, and Sigríður a year later. Daughters Nína, Ingibjörg, and Sigríður all chose to follow their mother’s career path as they grew up.