WASHINGTON - Former president Jimmy Carter has made flying great again - by shaking the hand of every passenger onboard a Delta Airlines flight from the US capital to Atlanta.

Social media was left swooning by the actions of Mr Carter - who served as the 39th US president from 1977 to 1981 - after he was filmed smiling warmly as he walked down the plane aisle to greet passengers.

Atlanta native James Parker Sheffield's video of the down-to-earth moment, which was tweeted last Friday (June 9), has since gone viral.

Mr Carter, 92, was heard joking that it was his fault that everyone was late, but nobody seemed to mind.

One woman even called out "I love you Jimmy Carter!" as netizens joined in to praise the Nobel Prize Laureate.

"Jimmy has always been a shining example of how a President should behave in public," wrote one.

Mr Sheffield, speaking to Atlanta's WSB-TV, said: "It's hard to put into words what a nice reprieve from the current political theater this moment was.

"His enthusiasm was authentic and humble, in a way that made things feel less heavy for a moment."

Mr Carter, who remained active after his tenure as president, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for work to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, advance democracy and human rights, and promote economic and social development.

He holds the record for the longest post-White House career of any US president.