FAA warns Congress against raising airline pilot retirement age ahead of hearing

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) leader told lawmakers in a letter Monday that they should not raise the mandatory retirement age of airline pilots from 65 to 67 before additional research is done.

“It is crucial to provide the agency an opportunity to conduct research and determine mitigations,” FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said in the letter first reported by Reuters.

The Senate Commerce Committee may hold a hearing Thursday related to an aviation bill to extend the authorization of the FAA.

“When it comes to raising the pilot retirement age, the FAA has made clear that a scientific and safety analysis must come first. That has not happened,” committee chair Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., told Reuters. “Aviation safety is paramount, and now is not the time to take a shortcut.”

RAISING PILOT RETIREMENT AGE POSES ‘RISK’ TO COMMERCIAL FLYING, UNION ARGUES

Back in July 2023, the House of Representatives passed a bill to reauthorize the FAA that includes a provision raising the commercial airline pilot retirement age to 67. 

The legislation, titled Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act, passed by a 351-69 vote, according to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. 

BIDEN ADMIN SAYS 66 TOO OLD FOR COMMERCIAL PILOTS, AS PRESIDENT NEARS 80

A pilot from the Southwest Airlines Pilots’ Association stands in the foreground as a Southwest Airlines Co. plane takes off outside Chicago Midway International Airport in Chicago on Wednesday, May 18, 2016.  (Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg opposed the age raise, saying in a Jan. 26 letter to Congress that the FAA “currently has no data to support such increase to the retirement age,” and that doing so “will have consequences for U.S. air carriers.”

Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA) also opposed the potential move.

“Raising the retirement age beyond 65 would not be in compliance with international standards and therefore disrupt U.S. airline global operations,” ALPA said in an online statement. “It would upend pilot bidding, reduce pilot utilization, create training backlogs, imperil flight operation, expose your union and airlines to significant legal liability, and ultimately require hard-fought-for collective bargaining agreements to be reopened to deal with this issue and its ramifications.”

ALPA said raising the retirement age would not increase the number of pilots. 

A Southwest Airlines Co. pilot waits at a gate at Midway International Airport in Chicago on Monday, Oct. 11, 2021. The Air Line Pilots Association, International says raising the retirement age will not increase the number of available pilots. (Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Last summer, the Regional Airline Association group told Reuters that it supports raising the retirement age of pilots because it “allows retention of more experienced captains, who can in turn fly alongside and mentor new first officers, helping to stabilize attrition.” 

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The Senate bill was previously held up by a dispute over whether to change pilot training requirements imposed after the February 2009 crash of Colgan Air Flight 3407 near Buffalo, New York, that killed 50 people, the last major deadly crash involving an American passenger airline. 

Fox Business’ Greg Norman and Reuters contributed to this report.