But There's Little Incentive For Pilots To Come Back
Faced with a continued
shortage of qualified pilots -- and in light of recent passage of
the "Age 65" rule governing airline pilot retirements -- several
carriers are reportedly going after retired pilots, hoping to lure
them back into the cockpit for a few more years.
The Fort Worth (TX) Star-Telegram reports a number of carriers,
including Dallas-based Southwest Airlines, have begun recruiting
pilots who were forced to retire when they turned 60, under
previous regulations, but are still a few years away from the new mandatory retirement age of
65.
"There are lot of pilots who love flying, it’s an absolute
passion for them, and they may be interested in coming back," said
Southwest spokesperson Brandy King. "So we want to give them that
opportunity." Delta and EOS, a European business-class airline that
flies between New York and London, have also reportedly stepped up
efforts to recruit retired pilots.
As with any decision, there are advantages and disadvantages for
retired pilots who may look to return to the cockpit... arguably,
more of the latter.
The biggest advantage for retired pilots coming back to work, is
it would once again provide them with a steady source of income.
Many saw their retirement benefits and pension plans slashed, as
domestic carriers suffered through numerous bankruptcies over the
past several years.
"Many of these pilots are living on just 25 to 30 percent of
what they thought they were going to have," said Kit Darby, a pilot
and president of consulting firm AIR Inc. "So they’re a needy
group, and some of them are going to jump at the chance to go back
to flying."
As for disadvantages, there are many. Even the most experienced
retired pilots would have to go through the entire hiring process,
including two weeks of interviews and additional training. "It
would be all the things that a new pilot does," said Southwest's
King.
Speaking of new pilots, that's exactly how retirees would be
treated. In a concession to the Air Line Pilots Association, the
Age 65 law was drafted to discourage pilots already forced to
retire, but not yet 65, from returning to the airline work force.
That means pilots hired back after
retirement forego all previous seniority, and will
start out as new recruits... with little to no say on which routes
they'd fly, on what equipment.
That means may see
former captains, with years of experience under their belts flying
widebody airliners on trans-Atlantic runs, at the very top of their
pay grade... relegated to being first officers onboard regional
jets, flying out of Cincinnati, answering to captains less than
half their age, all the while barely making a livable wage.
Understandably, that's a thoroughly unattractive prospect for
many -- or, as AIR Inc.'s Darby puts it, a scenario "frustrating
for some pilots who were at the peak of their careers."
Still, airlines remain optimistic a number of retired pilots
will opt to return to the fold. King estimates Southwest has about
200 retired pilots qualified for rehiring. "We have no idea how
many want to come back," she said. "Obviously some of them are
enjoying their retirement and don’t want to go back to
work."
"Every airline is looking at this right now, and at some point I
think all of them are going to be (recruiting retired pilots),"
Darby adds. "It’s a group with a lot of experience and a lot
of them want to come back."
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