Pilot shortage drives call to raise mandatory retirement age worldwide

A global aviation industry group is calling for an increase in the international retirement age for commercial airline pilots, citing growing global demand for air travel that is outpacing the supply of qualified aviators.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA), which represents around 350 airlines worldwide, has submitted a proposal to the United Nations' International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) to raise the mandatory retirement age for commercial pilots to 67 years, up from the current limit of 65, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

ICAO is expected to review the proposal during its General Assembly session, which begins on September 23.

Under existing international regulations, pilots over the age of 65 are prohibited from flying international routes, and many countries — including the United States — enforce the same restriction for domestic flights.

IATA described the proposed change as a "cautious but reasonable step consistent with safety," emphasising that safety standards would remain in place. According to the association’s working paper, published on ICAO’s website, flights would still require at least two pilots in the cockpit, with one pilot under the age of 65 if the other is older.

The international retirement age for pilots was last raised in 2006, when ICAO increased the limit from 60 to 65.

The proposal, however, faces strong opposition from U.S. pilot unions, which have expressed concerns about potential safety risks. Dennis Tajer, spokesperson for the Allied Pilots Association (APA) and a pilot at American Airlines, said there is insufficient data to fully assess the risks of increasing the age limit. "We don't gamble with safety that way," Tajer stated.

Other major U.S. pilot unions, including the Air Line Pilots Association and the Southwest Airlines Pilot Association, have not yet commented on the latest proposal.

This is not the first attempt to raise the retirement age. In 2023, U.S. airlines supported an initiative to convince Congress to approve a higher age limit, but that effort failed. However, momentum has grown recently, with a bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers urging President Donald Trump's administration last month to support the international push to extend the age limit to 67.

By Tamilla Hasanova