What Different Nations Are Saying About Raising Pilot Retirement Age

IATA proposal to extend careers sparks a contentious debate at the ICAO General Assembly.

Ryan Ewing

Friday, September 26, 2025 at 01:39 PM ET

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Ryan Ewing

Pilots in the flight deck [Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) proposed raising the mandatory retirement age for multipilot commercial air transport pilots from 65 to 67 at the ICAO General Assembly, citing no impact on safety and aligning with modern medical understanding.
The proposal garnered divided opinions among states; some supported it as a pragmatic measure to address workforce shortages, while others raised concerns about pilot health, cognitive decline, and the lack of sufficient scientific data.
The ICAO Secretariat noted that medical science on raising the age limit is inconclusive, and the ICAO Commission ultimately stressed the need for further data generation and a comprehensive, evidence-based approach to ensure safety before any global increase.

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The International Air Transport Association (IATA) presented a proposal to raise the age limit for multipilot commercial air transport pilots from 65 to 67 at the 42nd ICAO General Assembly in Montreal.

The proposal, introduced during the technical commission meeting on Thursday, aims to follow the same approach used in 2006 when the age limit was previously increased from 60 to 65.