The heartbreaking moment a widow meets her husband's coffin at the airport.

A powerful video has emerged showing the moment a widow met her Army veteran husband’s coffin on the airport tarmac, leaving every passenger on the plane in tears.

Shawn Thomas, 35, was a Green Beret, an Oklahoma native, and a father of four, who was based in Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Thomas died earlier this month after a vehicle accident while serving in Niger, Africa.

According to the Army Times, he had two Bronze Stars and four Good Conduct Medals, as well as other decorations for the time he served abroad.

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Thomas’ wife Tara met her husband’s coffin on the tarmac. A passenger on the plane recorded the moment and shared the video so viewers could understand the sacrifices made by military families.

In the heartbreaking video, Tara can be seen walking up to her husband’s remains and placing her hand on the American flag, and lowering her head onto the coffin.

She is then joined by family members, as they mourn the tragic loss of Thomas.

Lisa West Williams recorded the video and posted it to her Facebook page commenting: "It was an honor to fly home with this PATRIOT! God bless his wife and family. There was not a dry eye around me."

Watch the full video below. 

In the video you can hear Williams and the passengers around her breaking down into tears as they watch the harrowing scene on the tarmac.

The video has now been viewed more than seven million times, with many people thanking Thomas for his service and his ultimate sacrifice. Thousands of people have also passed on their condolences to Tara and her family.

Williams told WNCT that Tara had thanked her for the footage and wanted it to be posted for others to see.

"She wanted people to realise that this goes on every day," Williams said.

"There are many men and women that come home in a casket and they've made the ultimate sacrifice for us," she added.

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An obituary for Thomas states that "under his big beard, tattoos and giant muscles there was a small town Oklahoma boy that was grounded by his faith, strong values, and family".

Thomas is survived by his wife, their four children, his parents, as well as his brother and half-sister.