The three largest airline pilot unions in the country have expressed concerns about a reauthorization of Federal Aviation Administration Act, which has provisions changing training standards and raising the mandatory retirement age for commercial pilots from 65 to 67. The use of certain types of simulator training time would count as flight hours for first officers.
In an open letter to President Joe Biden and Congress, Allied Pilots Association, Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), and Southwest Airlines Pilots Association said that such changes could compromise safety standards in the aviation industry.
“Today’s requirements are the product of the collaborative efforts of the FAA and a cross-section of aviation industry subject-matter experts that have served the airline industry and the traveling public well for more than a decade and should not be relaxed. Similarly, the current 65 mandatory retirement age for commercial airline pilots is supported by data and conforms with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards. Those advocating for raising the retirement age have not produced sufficient data relating to the safety implications of such a change,” the letter said.
The bipartisan legislation was introduced by Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R-MO), Committee Ranking Member Rick Larsen (D-WA), Aviation Subcommittee Chairman Garret Graves (R-LA), and Aviation Subcommittee Ranking Member Steve Cohen (D-TN).
The sponsors of the bill says it does several important things, including streamlining the regulatory process and improving training standards.
But the unions say that there is no actual pilot shortage and that the plan to create short-term “certificates” that churn out pilot certificates rather than creating the best possible pilot is shortsighted.
“Some lawmakers are interested in increasing the pilot retirement age from 65 to 67 to solve the fake pilot shortage. This so-called ‘fix’ would not increase pilot numbers, nor would it address flight delays and cancellations. It would, however, introduce additional risks into the system,” the Air Line Pilots Association letter said.
However, the list of those organizations supporting the bill is long. Air clubs supporting the bill include the Alaska Airmen’s Association, representing 2,000 members in a state that has more licensed pilots per capita than any other state.
The last FAA reauthorization was passed in 2018 and lasted five years. Congress must pass a new reauthorization bill before the current law expires on Sept. 30.
The Senate is working on its own version of an FAA reauthorization bill but both the House and Senate are in recess until after Labor Day weekend, Sept. 5, as members head back to their districts for August.
