A global effort is underway to raise the mandatory retirement age for commercial pilots from 65 to 67, with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) proposing the change to the United Nation’s International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
In 2006, ICAO lifted the age limit from 60 to 65. International rules currently prohibit airline pilots older than 65 from flying international flights, and many countries, including the US, apply the same rule domestically as well.
Reasons for proposed increase in age limit
IATA has cited reasons for the proposed change due to a growing shortage of pilots, and IATA believes raising the retirement age by two years is a “cautious but reasonable step” to help address this. IATA claims medical studies over the last two decades support the idea that pilots can safely fly beyond age 65.
One of IATA’s counter is that when the retirement age was raised from 60 to 65 years 19 years ago, there was no negative impact on aviation safety.
IATA said raising the limit by two years is a “cautious but reasonable step consistent with safety.” There would still have to be at least two pilots operating each flight, including one younger than 65 if the other pilot is above that age, IATA said in a working paper published on ICAO’s website.
The ICAO is set to consider this proposal in September 2025, building on its 2006 decision to increase the retirement age from 60 to 65. IATA represents more than 350 airlines worldwide; its new proposal will be on the table at the 42nd ICAO Assembly in Montreal happening September 23-October 3.
Proposal met with opposition from pilot unions
However, US pilot union ALPA and the Allied Pilots Association (APA) oppose the idea, citing potential safety concerns and a lack of supporting data, while emphasising current pilot supply already meets demand. These pilot unions are actively lobbying to prevent any increase in the retirement age, urging their government to maintain the current standards and global leadership in aviation safety.
Unions also state that pilot supply already exceeds demand, particularly in the U.S., and that a higher retirement age isn’t necessary to increase the pilot pool.
First Officer Nick Silva, APA President, pointed out that IATA’s meeting the demand for pilots as the reason for raising the retirement age was a non-issue in the U.S. Silva cited Spirit Airlines and JetBlue, both of which have pilots on furlough, and American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines, have all slowed or halted pilot hiring.
Silva also cited data showing higher long-term disability rates among older pilots. At American Airlines, 71% of pilots on long-term disability are older than age 55, reflecting reduced productivity and higher costs as pilots age.
Moreover, APA states what is in its view common sense: cognitive performance declines with age, affecting reaction time, situational awareness, and problem-solving, along with an increased risk of sudden incapacitation from heart attacks and strokes.
Critics argue that any change to the retirement age in the U.S. should be supported by research and established policies, as is the normal procedure for Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rulemaking.
There is no mandatory FAA pilot retirement age, as a pilot can fly a commercial airplane as long as they meet the age and medical requirements, which are a maximum of 65 years old for captains and first officers on a multi-crew aircraft.
Raising the age could also hinder the career advancement of younger, more junior pilots by delaying their movement into captain positions.
US pilot unions opposed an unsuccessful push backed by US carriers in 2023 to get Congress to raise the mandatory airline pilot retirement age to 67 from 65 as reported by Reuters. In July, a bipartisan group of lawmakers in Congress pushed US President Donald Trump’s administration to support international efforts to raise the mandatory pilot retirement age.
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