Virgin Atlantic cabin crew Malcolm and Jacqui King-MacKinnon were surprised by Sir Richard Branson when they renewed their vows (Picture: Virgin Atlantic)
A couple fell in love 40 years above the clouds while working as Virgin’s cabin crew on its first trans-Atlantic route.
The love story of Malcolm and Jacqui King-McKinnon, from Heswall, Wirral, is an epic meet-cute.
Both were working on Sir Richard Branson’s new creation, Virgin Atlantic – intended to disrupt the business of flying at the time – unaware of each other at first.
But their lives changed forever when Malcolm saw Jacqui at the car park of London Gatwick, wearing the ‘iconic red Virgin Atlantic uniform as she was pulling her suitcase from the boot of her car.’
The couple met by chance at London Gatwick (Picture: Handout)
Before the first encounter on one of Virgin’s inaugural flights from Manchester in the UK to North America, Malcolm offered to help Jacqui with her luggage and the pair walked to the crew check-in.
He said ‘that was it, I was smitten.’
He also committed to taking every flight with her from then on, saying he managed to do ‘a bit of ‘tactical roster adjustment” to get on Jacqui’s next five-night Miami trip from London.
Malcolm, 64, who hails from Troon in Scotland, told Metro.co.uk: ‘It was love at first flight.’
Both knew ‘there was a spark,’ but Mally – as Jacqui calls him – took things slowly ‘as he was, and still is, a proper gentleman,’ she said.
Malcolm and Jacqui with Richard Branson who they have known for years (Picture: Virgin Atlantic)
Jacqui, who was born in the Wirral, explained how the pair made courting work despite the transient nature of their job, which they both still work in.
She said: ‘There were occasions where Mally would work on the early flight to Los Angeles and I would work on the second Los Angeles flight, later in the day. It meant we were able to spend quality time together during the layover, experiencing new places and having fun.’
At the start of their relationship, they were able to fly together ‘two or three time a month’ while Jacqui trained to become a flight service manager (FSM), Malcolm said.
‘Once Jacqui became an FSM, we couldn’t operate the same flights, as there can only be one FSM operating a flight at a time, and I was already an FSM,’ the dad-of-two said.
The couple’s love story and life is intertwined with flying (Picture: Virgin Atlantic)
But recently, as a special treat for one retiring captain, the couple were allowed to fly together from their base at Manchester Airport to Barbados – the first time Malcolm and Jacqui flew together since 1997.
Over the years, the couple became parents to two daughters Niamh, now 20, and Freya, 18.
Having a ‘lifestyle that incorporates a job’ meant their crew and company bosses have also become a tightly-knit ‘Virgin family through and through,’ Malcolm said.
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Source:: Metro
