Inside a Boeing 787 Dreamliner flight deck at the Farnborough Airshow [Credit: AirlineGeeks/William Derrickson]
Key Takeaways:
Bryan Bedford, nominated to lead the FAA, strongly advocates against the "arbitrary" mandatory airline pilot retirement age of 65, believing experienced pilots still have valuable contributions.
Past attempts to raise the U.S. pilot retirement age to 67 have been narrowly rejected and met with significant opposition from industry groups, including the largest pilot union, ALPA.
Bedford acknowledges that raising the retirement age necessitates careful alignment with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards to prevent logistical challenges for senior pilots operating international flights.
The Senate Commerce Committee held its confirmation hearing for Bedford on Wednesday, where he was pressed on whether legislators should raise the retirement age.
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Ryan is Group President for Firecrown's Aviation Group. In 2013, he founded AirlineGeeks.com, a leading trade publication covering the airline industry. Since then, his work has been featured in several publications and news outlets, including CNN, WJLA, CNET, and Business Insider. During his time in the airline industry, he's worked in roles pertaining to airport/airline operations while holding a B.S. in Air Transportation Management from Arizona State University along with an MBA. Previously, he worked for a Part 135 operator and later a major airline. Ryan is also an Adjunct Instructor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
