WASHINGTON, D.C.: Five U.S. senators, which included incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune, urged President Joe Biden's administration this week to support international efforts to raise the mandatory pilot retirement age from 65 to 67.
Last year, Congress rejected a proposal to raise the mandatory retirement age for airline pilots. International rules prevent airline pilots older than 65 from flying in most countries outside the United States.
The senators' group is led by Marsha Blackburn and includes her fellow Republicans Thune and Lindsey Graham, Democrat Mark Kelly, and Independent Joe Manchin.
They urged U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to advocate at the International Civil Aviation Organization, a United Nations agency, for hiking the retirement age. They did not suggest a specific age.
"The American public deserves the most qualified and experienced pilots when traveling," the senators wrote in the letter first reported by Reuters.
The State Department, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the Air Line Pilots Association did not immediately respond to requests for comment, while a group representing major airlines declined to issue a statement.
Senators urged the U.S. mission to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to actively engage in the ongoing debate. "The United States cannot afford to sit on the sidelines in this discussion. If we relinquish our leadership on the international stage, China-currently aligning with our partners to advocate for raising the pilot retirement age-will readily fill that void," they warned.
In February, the FAA requested additional time from Congress to conduct further research before making any changes to the retirement age. Despite this, in July 2023, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a sweeping aviation bill with a 351-69 vote, including a provision to raise the mandatory pilot retirement age to 67. However, the measure was excluded from the final legislation approved by Congress.
The Air Line Pilots Association has opposed increasing the retirement age, citing concerns about potential disruptions to airline scheduling, pilot training, and the need to renegotiate existing pilot contracts.
The U.S. mission to ICAO in Montreal has been without an ambassador since Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, renowned for safely landing an Airbus A320 on the Hudson River in 2009, stepped down in July 2022. President Biden nominated former Florida Governor Charlie Crist for the position in 2023, but the Senate has yet to confirm the appointment.