A working paper from IATA that suggested raising the retirement age of pilots to help mitigate a shortage of personnel across the industry was soundly rejected by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) at its 42nd Assembly in Montreal.
The decision follows U.S. Congress’s rejection of raising the age last year.
The Air Line Pilot Association, Int. (ALPA) – the largest airline pilot union in the worlda and which represents more than 80,000 pilots at 43 U.S. and Canadian airlines – welcomed the result.
“ALPA applauds ICAO for reiterating that the current medical science and available data does not support an increase in the pilot retirement age,” said association president Capt. Jason Ambrosi. ALPA appreciates the ICAO Secretariat’s commitment to improve data generation and analysis procedures with an aim to strengthen and harmonize the global aviation medical risk management system.
“(But) just as Congress rejected a similar move last year and reiterated its support for the current standard, ICAO has placed sound aviation policy ahead of political gamesmanship. Raising the pilot retirement age is a solution in search of a problem that distracts from the pressing needs of our industry, like modernizing the air traffic control system.”
If this article was shared with you by a friend or colleague, you may enjoy receiving your own copy of Travel Industry Today with the latest travel news and reviews each weekday morning. It’s absolutely free – just CLICK HERE.