Southwest Steps In When Pilot’s Retirement Flight Cut Short By Shutdown A Spirit Airlines pilot received a retirement send-off with the help of a rival airline — and his first officer son — as his retirement flight was abruptly cut amid the carrier’s sudden shutdown. Capt. Jon Jackson was scheduled to fly one last time for Spirit into Baltimore-Washington International (BWI) on Saturday when the ultra-low-cost airline ceased operations and went out of business at 3 a.m. Jackson, left stranded by the permanent shutdown, hitched a ride with Southwest Airlines in Fort Lauderdale, riding alongside his son, Chris, who is a first officer, according to CNBC.
