ICAO to Consider Raising Pilot Retirement Age

The United Nations’ aviation body is set to consider a proposal from an international trade group on raising the mandatory retirement age for pilots from 65 to 67 during meetings this week. 

The 193 member states gathered in Montreal on Tuesday for the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) triennial assembly, where a myriad of aviation regulatory topics will be discussed, including raising the retirement age for pilots. 

According to a report from Reuters on Sunday, Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) sent a letter to President Donald Trump asking for his support in changing the policy at this week’s ICAO meetings. Cruz is chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, which oversees aviation-related issues.

“America should lead on the international stage in support of raising, or even abolishing, the pilot retirement age,” said Cruz. “[The current policy is] forcing thousands of highly qualified and experienced pilots into early retirement every year.”

Cruz’s statement comes after a proposal from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which represents about 350 airlines worldwide, urges the ICAO to reconsider its current requirement. The IATA claims it can be raised without any impact to aviation safety.

In addition to increasing the retirement age to 67, the IATA proposal aims to set up a standard oversight system to monitor age-related risks.

The IATA’s plan is supported by Canada, Australia, Brazil, Japan, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. Despite statements of support from Cruz and other U.S. government officials, the Trump administration for its part has yet to submit a position on the issue. 

During his nomination hearing in June, FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford described the mandatory retirement age for pilots as “arbitrary” for those who wish to continue flying. Bedford also stated that due to logistical concerns ICAO will be very critical in any effort to raise the current retirement age.

Any change made to the retirement age by the U.S,, without uniformity with ICAO, would result in American pilots over 65 being barred from international flights and potentially having to retrain and requalify on new aircraft. 

Last year, Congress had the opportunity to raise the retirement age as part of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 but chose to strike it from the legislation. The Senate Commerce Committee, at that time under Democratic leadership, narrowly voted 14-13 to nix the provision from the overall 1,000-plus page package. 

Congress’ decision to keep the mandatory retirement age intact has been cited by opponents of the proposal, like the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), which represents over 80,000 pilots at 43 different airlines.  

“The United States is the global leader in aviation safety, and we should resist any attempts to arbitrarily make changes to the regulatory framework that has helped us achieve this record,” the ALPA said in a statement. “That’s why Congress rejected making a change to the pilot retirement age just last year. The U.S. should continue to provide global leadership on this issue and maintain its current position.”