Agency's Official Statement On Pilot Retirement Age
Editor's Note: Below is the
unedited text of a statement released by the Federal Aviation
Administration, applauding the signing of the "Fair Treatment for
Experienced Pilots Act" into law by President Bush on Thursday.
It's worth noting the FAA fought efforts to amend the "age 60" rule
for years, before experiencing a change-of-heart last
year...
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) welcomes the
legislation signed into law last night by the President that allows
U.S. commercial pilots to fly until age 65. The determined efforts
of Congress have averted a lengthy federal rulemaking process while
enabling some of our nation’s most experienced pilots to keep
flying.
Effective last night, the Fair Treatment for Experienced Pilots
Act allows both pilots on a domestic flight to be up to age 65. For
international flights, one pilot may be up to age 65 provided the
other pilot is under age 60, consistent with the November 2006
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standard.
While the law is not retroactive, airlines do have the option to
rehire pilots who are under age 65. The rehiring of pilots is not
mandatory and is the decision of each airline.
In January, the FAA announced that it would raise the retirement
age for commercial pilots to 65. The mandatory federal rulemaking
process would have taken 18 months to two years. The FAA took a
renewed look at its longstanding rule in September 2006 with the
help of aviation industry and medical experts who provided the
agency with valuable insight and analysis. The “Age 60
Rule” had been in effect since 1959.
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