The world’s largest airline trade association is pushing to raise the international age limit for commercial pilots from 65 to 67.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA), which represents over 350 airlines, including all of the U.S. legacy carriers, is asking the U.N.’s aviation body, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), to consider the change to help alleviate an alleged shortage of pilots.
Allowing pilots to work until 67, while also increasing recruitment of younger pilots, would help meet rising demand for air travel and keep the global air transportation system intact, IATA said.
ICAO, which is headquartered in Montreal, develops standards for international civilian air transportation. Reuters reported that the organization will consider IATA’s proposal during a meeting of its General Assembly in September.
In a working paper released by ICAO, IATA argues that an increased retirement age is not a substantial risk to the flying public because many people are living longer, healthier lives, and because pilots as a subgroup tend to be healthier than the general population. The organization said the two leading concerns for medical-cause fatal aircraft accidents are mental health conditions and substance abuse, which are more prevalent in young people than those in their 60s.
“Raising the age limit from 65 years to 67 years is a cautious but reasonable step that [countries] may consider that is consistent with maintaining safety while supporting the viability of [commercial air transport] operations,” the group wrote.
The organization pointed out that Canada, Australia, and New Zealand do not have an upper age limit for commercial pilots, noting those countries have not recorded an increase in aviation safety incidents for pilots over 65.
IATA recommended that pilots over 65 be paired with those younger than 65 on commercial flights.
Union Responds
The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), a union representing over 80,000 pilots in the U.S. and Canada, immediately came out in opposition to IATA.
“The United States is the global leader in aviation safety, and we should resist any attempts to arbitrarily make changes to the regulatory framework that has helped us achieve this record,” ALPA said in a statement. “That’s why Congress rejected making a change to the pilot retirement age just last year. The U.S. should continue to provide global leadership on this issue and maintain its current position.”
The mandatory retirement age is a sensitive issue for pilot unions and aviation regulators, which have broadly opposed changes since ICAO raised the age limit from 60 to 65 in 2006.
ALPA and other unions mobilized last year to counter a push by some members of Congress to raise the mandatory retirement age for pilots in the U.S. from 65 to 67, a move supported by some older pilots and regional airlines. Separately, the FAA told Congress not to raise the retirement age until it has time to study the issue.
The FAA Reauthorization Act, ultimately signed into law by then-President Joe Biden in May 2024, did not change the age limit.
In July, ALPA accused the Donald Trump administration of trying to engineer an age increase through the ICAO by appointing former Delta Air Lines pilot Jeffrey Anderson as the U.S. ambassador to the organization. Anderson’s only qualification for the position, ALPA argued, is that he shares the view of many White House officials that the pilot retirement age should be adjusted upward.
