The hero pilot who landed a jet safely on the Hudson River, saving scores of lives, is retiring after 30 years – and plans to campaign for better flight safety.

Hudson River hero pilot Chesley Sullenberger has become such a hot media commodity that journalists are being restricted from taking pictures of him being introduced to the audience at a Broadway play this weekend.

Salvage crews have hoisted a US Airways jetliner from the Hudson River and onto a barge days after its pilot made a split-second decision to attempt a water landing to avoid a “catastrophic” crash over populated areas.