Ryanair captain Matt Greenhalgh and senior first officer Jamie Fernandes were in a taxi heading to Liverpool John Lennon Airport at 5:31 a.m. on Saturday, July 27.
Sadly, though, they were killed at the scene of a collision involving two vehicles on the westbound lane between junctions eight for Burtonwood and seven for Rainhill Stoops. Matt, 28, and Jamie, 24, were both killed.
The cab driver suffered severe injuries and was sent to the hospital.
After investigation, the 61-year-old driver of one of the two lorries was taken into custody on suspicion of driving dangerously and causing death or serious harm. Since then, he was freed on a bond with conditions.
“Matt had a passion for life and seized every opportunity that came his way,” the family of Matt said in a statement.
“In such a short life, he had already accomplished so much, and there was still so much ahead of him.
After receiving a flying lesson from his aunt when he was a teenager, Matt realised he wanted to be a pilot.
“His great career with Ryanair, which included a recent promotion to captain, was the result of his hard work and perseverance.
He never got weary of the breathtaking vistas from the cockpit and had a great passion for the skies and flying.
Matt loved sports; he played cricket and rugby when he was younger and golf and cycling more recently.
He was always looking for new experiences and wanted to try everything. Matt loves travelling as much as his wife Hannah.
They were married for only three months prior to his untimely demise, thus their final vacation was to Las Vegas.
That we will always have so many wonderful memories of our time spent with him gives us comfort.
He was a devoted husband, considerate son, devoted brother, loving grandpa, esteemed coworker, and cherished friend.
“Matt obviously touched the lives of so many people, and as a result, we have been inundated with love and affection to our family from so many facets of his life.
Without you, we are at a loss. In our hearts, you will always be.
Jamie was “living his best life and had so many plans for the future,” according to a statement from his family. He accomplished a great deal and made the most of every moment in his all too brief existence.
“We are happy that he was able to fulfil his childhood aspiration of becoming a pilot.
“As he once said, ‘The sun always shines above the clouds,’ and it is obvious that he was with a very special family of colleagues and friends, he looked forward to every day at work.”
“Jamie was an avid hockey player and enjoyed hanging out with his pals, playing squash and golf.
He valued all of his buddies greatly, both from the flying community and from school. In addition to his wicked sense of humour, he was incredibly caring.
“The amount of love and support that our family has received has deeply touched us, demonstrating what a remarkable young man Jamie was and how he undoubtedly impacted more lives than we could have ever anticipated.
“Our sweet boy was a devoted nephew, cousin, grandson, and son. He has always been and always will be the light of our life.
A Go Fund Me page has been established independently of the families, yet the tragic tragedy has brought two families together to share and offer consolation in their loss.
They acknowledge that the motivations for establishing this were benevolent, and they extend their gratitude to all of the individuals who have generously contributed to the fundraising and through other channels.
In addition, they are incredibly touched by the gifts as well as the lovely notes and remarks shared on social media.
The family has determined that the full amount of these money, together with the kind donations made by Matt and Jamie’s coworkers, will go towards supporting a scholarship trust that aids individuals from all walks of life in their pursuit of becoming pilots.
In addition, in honour of Matt and Jamie’s memory, Ryanair will be erecting a plaque with their names at East Midlands Training Centre.
The airline will also be introducing the ‘Matt Greenhalgh and Jamie Fernandes Memorial Award’ which will be presented to the top performing cadet each year.
The GoFundMe page has already generated £36,900, and if you would like to donate, visit gofundme.com/f/in-memory-of-2-amazing-pilots
The text on the page says, “We are saddened to learn of the passing of two fantastic colleagues I had the pleasure of working with in Manchester here at Ryanair.
“We shall certainly miss Matt and Jamie, who collaborated with our Liverpool-based colleagues as well.
As a team, we want to raise some money to assist the families of Matt and Jamie with any expenses related to the burial service and ongoing support.
“Matt’s family will receive half of the income, while Jamie’s family will get the other half. Two amazing guys who left too soon.
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