Hero pilot buys passengers pizza after plane gets diverted

An American Airlines pilot made a flight delay easier to swallow after buying pizza for every passenger on the plane.

“Rain or shine, our team consistently proves they’re the best in the business,” an American Airlines spokesperson told the Independent of the pie-in-the-sky gesture, which occurred during an American Eagle flight on May 4. (American Eagle is a regional branch of American Airlines.)

American Eagle Flight 4798, which had already departed 40 minutes late, encountered severe thunderstorms while flying from Key West, Florida, to Charlotte, North Carolina.

To circumvent the tumultuous weather, the Embraer ERJ-175 was forced to land in Charleston, where it spent a mind-numbing hour and 22 minutes on the runway.

Fortunately, the understanding pilot managed to “slice” through their cabin fever — by ordering pizza for everyone on board. The flight finally touched down in Charlotte a staggering six hours after the initial takeoff from Key West.

“We’re incredibly proud of the American Airlines team and our regional partners – including Republic’s crew members – who take great care of our customers every day,” said American Airlines.

This isn’t the first time a flight captain has given stranded passengers some pizza mind. An Air Canada pilot saved the day in 2019 after ordering 23 cheese and pepperoni pizzas for travelers stuck aboard a diverted Airbus A320.