Southwest Airlines welcomes first mother-daughter pilot duo

On Saturday, July 23, Southwest Airlines’ first mother-daughter pilot duo, Captain Holly Petitt and First Officer Keely Petitt flew together on their first flight together from Denver to St. Louis, creating a first for the airline.

Their story begins with Holly Petitt, who began working as a flight attendant after college. When she realized she wanted to fly planes, she began training to become a commercial pilot while raising her three children with the help of her husband and mother.

“It’s been a dream come true,” said Captain Petitt. “First, I found this career and fell in love with it, and then that one of my kids fell into this and in love with this career too. It’s surreal.”

Her daughter Keely grew up with her mother as a pilot and, after her and her siblings went on a discovery flight, she knew she had to follow in her mother’s footsteps. In 2017, she got an internship with Southwest through its Campus Reach Internship Program and eventually was hired as a commercial pilot.

“Southwest was always the end goal for me,” said First Officer Keely Petitt. “There was really never any other option.”

The recent flight was the first the mother and daughter enjoyed together, but hopefully, it won’t be the last.