FLUG REVUE September 2006: US pilots for India?

September 2006

OLD US PILOTS FOR THE WORLD?

By Volker K. Thomalla

In March the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) raised the retirement age for pilots in two-crew cockpits on commercial flying operations from 60 to 65. From 23 November, pilots in the 189 ICAO member states which follow this recommendation will be able to continue flying cargo and passengers on a commercial basis up to their 65th birthday. According to a poll of member states, 83 percent are in favour of the change.

However, in the USA a passionate dispute has arisen between the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the pilots and the big pilot unions, as several pilot unions such as the Airline Pilots Association (ALPA) and also the FAA have spoken out against amending the age limit. But many pilots would like to be able to fly for longer. These include 42 percent of ALPA's membership. Pilots working for the airlines AirTran, JetBlue and Southwest are also in favour of raising the age limit.

The dispute has acquired a pronounced political dimension. Thus, two draft bills forcing the FAA to raise the age limit to 65 years, both of them drafted by experienced pilots, are currently before the US Senate. The Senate will have to vote on both drafts over the next few weeks. The FAA cites a lack of data on the medical fitness of older pilots as an argument for opposing the legislation. This contradicts a study carried out by the American Aerospace Medical Association which concluded that there is insufficient medical evidence to suggest that pilots aged between 60 and 65 are not fit to fly. The Senate now faces a dilemma: should it follow the opinions of the FAA and ALPA or go with the recommendation of the ICAO? There is no compromise in sight, even if one of the draft bills proposes that pilots over 60 should be allowed to fly in a two-person cockpit only if the second member of the crew is younger than 60.

If the opinions of the FAA and ALPA win the day and neither draft bill gets through the Senate, it is clear that many experienced captains will continue their flying careers abroad, as one of the obvious effects of the precarious financial situation of many American airlines of late has been to hit American pilots' pensions. The emerging air transport markets in the Middle East, India and China have considerable demand for experienced cockpit personnel and will soak up the American veterans like a sponge. It is true that in India only foreign captains, rather than first officers, are being hired, but that should not be a problem for most 60-year-old US pilots.

The dispute between the FAA and pilots who are prepared to accept reform in fact constitutes a major opportunity for the aspiring aviation nations. Few captains will turn down the prospect of five years' flying for a foreign airline with an ultra-modern fleet and an attractive salary. The threatened exodus of older American pilots to those countries could be a stroke of luck for both sides and serve as a means of drumming into the developing nations just how important flight safety is. Air safety is the measure of all things in the airline business. Any airline that can learn this without experiencing any accidents at first hand has a significant operational advantage.

From page 4 of FLUG REVUE 9/2006

Last updated 15 August 2006

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