Sen. Lindsey Graham Aims To Raise Retirement Age for Commercial Pilots

Proposed legislation would allow qualified pilots to stay two more years to age 67.

Tuesday, July 26, 2022 at 01:21 PM ET

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U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham is part of a group that has introduced legislation that would raise the mandatory retirement age for commercial pilots from 65 to 67. [File photo: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham and colleagues introduced the "Let Experienced Pilots Fly Act" to raise the mandatory commercial pilot retirement age from 65 to 67, aiming to alleviate the severe pilot shortage causing widespread flight cancellations.
The proposed legislation would require pilots over 65 to maintain a first-class medical certification every six months and continue adhering to FAA-approved training standards.
The proposal is controversial, with the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) arguing that the risks outweigh the benefits and that the industry's issues stem from airline mismanagement rather than a problem addressable by extending the retirement age.

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U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham and a group of colleagues introduced legislation that would raise the mandatory retirement age for commercial pilots to 67 from 65. The proposed change is meant to help alleviate the pilot shortage that has led to waves of flight cancellations across the airline industry.

The announcement follows months of speculation that Graham was considering such a plan. Congress last raised the retirement age for commercial pilots, to 65 from 60, in 2007.