Senators propose raising US commercial pilots mandatory retirement age
Send a link to a friend
[March 22, 2023]
By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A group of seven U.S. senators on Tuesday proposed
legislation to raise the mandatory commercial pilot retirement age to 67
from 65, in a bid to address airline industry staffing issues.
The legislation first proposed last year by Senator Lindsey Graham and
other Republicans now includes Democrats Joe Manchin and Mark Kelly, a
former Navy pilot and astronaut.
The proposal, which would require pilots over age 65 to pass a rigorous
medical screening every six months, follows complaints of pilot
shortages by many regional airlines.
It comes as Congress is considering various aviation reforms ahead of
the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Sept. 30 expiration of
operating authority.
Graham said roughly 5,000 pilots will be forced to retire within the
next two years. He noted hundreds of flights are being canceled due to a
shortage of available pilots and crews.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2023/Mar/22/images/ads/current/LPL_small%201.gif)
The Regional Airline Association (RAA) praised the proposal, saying 324
airports have lost, on average, a third of their air service, including
14 small airports that have lost all service, and more than 400
airplanes are parked because of a lack of pilots.
RAA President Faye Malarkey Black in an email said raising the
retirement age is "the one solution that will immediately mitigate the
pilot shortage, particularly the captain shortage, which is an even more
acute constraint within a constraint."
[to top of second column]
|
![](../images/032223PIX/news_w22.jpg)
Pilots are seen in the cockpit of an
airplane as it sits on the tarmac at John F. Kennedy International
Airport on the July 4th weekend in Queens, New York City, U.S., July
2, 2022. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2023/Mar/22/images/ads/current/graue_lda_ENCOREpreowned_020723.jpg)
She added that it also would reduce "wrongheaded age discrimination
against healthy pilots."
The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) opposes proposals to increase
the retirement age. Even if the proposal is approved, the union said
pilots older than 65 would still not be able to fly in most
countries outside the United States because of international rules.
Graham previously noted that in 2007 the United States raised the
mandatory retirement age from 60 to 65, and "the sky did not fall."
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has previously said he does
not support raising the pilot retirement age.
Some have urged the lowering of the number of hours experience
needed to be a co-pilot.
The FAA denied a request last year by regional carrier Republic
Airways for allowing only 750 hours of flight experience instead of
1,500 hours.
(Reporting by David ShepardsonEditing by Bill Berkrot)
[© 2023 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content. |