Captain Danny & FO Kelly Akhund

Danny Akhund and Kelly (George) Akhund, husband and wife, have the love of flight running through their blood. They met in 2005 and were married on July 17, 2010 in Minneapolis, MN.

Kelly's love of flight was born from watching her Uncle Jason Griffin excel as a pilot. While in college at Mankato State University, Minnesota, Kelly worked as a Gate Agent for Mesaba Airlines in Minneapolis, MN. In 2006, she interned at an airport in Fort Lauderdale, FL. During this job, she earned her commercial pilot and flight instructor license. After graduating with a Bachelor's Degree in Aviation in 2007, she worked as a flight instructor in Arlington, TX. In early 2008 she accepted a job as First Officer with Air Wisconsin flying the CRJ-200 based in New York. In late 2008, she began flying the CRJ-900 for Mesaba Airlines in Memphis, TN. With the airline career path occasionally being unstable, Kelly was furloughed from both airlines. In late 2009, she accepted a position as an Aviation Analyst with PAI Consulting in Alexandria, VA conducting aviation safety studies for the Federal Aviation Administration.

Danny yearned to get into the field of aviation and allowed his love of flight to take seed as a Flight Attendant with US Airways in 2000. It was not long before he decided that he wanted to be the one "flying" the airplane. He attended Comair Aviation Academy in 2001 and obtained his commercial pilot license. He flew as a First Officer with Gulfstream Airlines in 2004 on the Beechcraft 1900. In 2005 he was hired at Pinnacle Airlines flying the CRJ-200 based in Minneapolis, MN. He then moved his career in a different direction and became a personal pilot flying a Beechcraft Baron in Fort Lauderdale, FL. When the owner sold the airplane in 2006, Danny instructed students in a CRJ-200 simulator for Jet University in Fort Lauderdale. He missed flying jets and decided to go back to the airlines. He was hired with Republic Airways in 2007 flying the CRJ-200 in Houston, TX. During his employment with Republic Airways, he also flew the Embraer 145, 170, 175, and 190 based in multiple cities. In 2012 Republic Airways promoted Danny to Captain based in Washington, DC.

Danny and Kelly lived in Cordova, TN near Danny's son Gabriel James Lansford-Akhund most of 2009. The couple lived in Woodbridge, VA from 2009 until 2015. While there, the Lord blessed them with a beautiful son, Declan Thomas Akhund, who was born on June 19, 2014.

In March, 2015, Kelly and Danny moved to Woodbury, MN when Kelly was hired by the Minnesota Department of Transportation as an Aviation Representative conducting airport inspections and flying Beechcraft Bonanzas and King Airs.

In July 2015, Danny accepted a First Officer position with Spirit Airlines based in Chicago, IL, which allowed him to easily commute home to Minneapolis, MN.

Wall of Honor engraving and article submitted by Phil and Lynn George (proud parents of Kelly and honored in-laws to Danny Akhund)