Senators Push to Raise Global Pilot Retirement Age

Bipartisan group urges Trump administration to back ICAO change, warning of lost U.S. influence in worldwide aviation policy.

Ryan Ewing

Friday, July 18, 2025 at 05:00 PM ET

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Ryan Ewing

Flight deck of an Airbus aircraft [Credit: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators has urged the Trump administration to back international efforts to raise the mandatory retirement age for commercial pilots from 65 to 67, citing benefits like preserving pilot experience and enhancing safety.
The senators emphasized the importance of maintaining U.S. leadership in civil aviation to prevent China from gaining policy influence at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
This international appeal follows a failed domestic congressional attempt in 2023 to raise the U.S. pilot retirement age, with current ICAO rules prohibiting pilots over 65 from operating most international flights.

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A bipartisan cohort of U.S. senators has urged the Trump administration to support international efforts to raise the mandatory retirement age for commercial pilots from 65 to 67, according to a Reuters report.

In a July 14 letter addressed to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Senators John Thune (R-S.D), Marsha Blackburn (R‑Tenn.), and Mark Kelly (D‑Ariz.) emphasized that expanding the retirement age, when combined with rigorous ongoing technical and medical evaluations, would preserve pilot experience and could reduce accidents.