Understanding the Retirement Age for Pilots
With 1,500 hours of required flight time and years of education, prospective pilots are looking for longevity once they officially start work at a large commercial airline. They’re eager to stay and earn the pay increases and freedoms that come with seniority. However, there is a limit on how long they can fly.
In the U.S., the maximum retirement age for pilots is currently 65, mirroring the international mandatory retirement age set by the International Civil Aviation Authority. However, some local authorities have extended that age in their markets, such as Japan’s civil aviation authority, which raised the mandatory retirement age to 68.
Recently, there’s been discussion around raising the maximum age in the U.S. to address a shortage of pilots, providing potential for more experienced aviators to continue their contributions.
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The Debate Around the Mandatory Retirement Age for Pilots
According to NPR, numbers from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics predict that the number of incoming pilots will not be able to keep up with airlines’ current hiring demands, with about 14,500 new pilots needed each year over the next decade.
Some experts suggest that increasing the retirement age could help bridge this gap by retaining senior, experienced pilots. Furthermore, there are arguments advocating that pilots who have trained without advanced digital systems can enhance aviation safety, contributing significantly to training new pilots.
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Conversely, others argue that merely raising the retirement age may not effectively address the pilot shortage issue. As noted by NPR correspondent David Schaper, “Because the international mandatory retirement age for pilots is also 65, if the age was raised in the United States, pilots 65 or older would no longer be allowed to fly overseas.” This situation would necessitate retraining veteran pilots on smaller narrow-body aircraft, thereby complicating transitional logistics.
Moreover, recent challenges in air travel might stem more from a lack of preparation on the airlines’ part rather than a direct pilot shortage. Captain Dennis Tajer, a spokesperson for the Allied Pilots Association, emphasizes that airlines had incentivized early retirement among pilots during the pandemic without initiating training programs for replacements.
While all airlines enforce stringent health and skill testing requirements, which remain crucial regardless of age, many believe that certain skills may decline with age.
In line with this discussion, Captain Chris Manno states, “I do feel like a mandatory retirement age is a good idea because motor skills and overall physical vitality diminish with age.” Manno’s distinguished piloting career started as a 727 flight engineer and advanced to a 737 captain in 2010.
Although he could transition to the 777 or 787 captain position now, he opts for the narrower-body lifestyle, which allows him to work fewer days and be home every night. “Every 777 and 787 trip has at least one red-eye leg — the South American routes often entail two such legs — and that’s physically exhausting,” he explains.
The physical and mental demands referenced by Manno help clarify why there are established retirement age guidelines, as well as stringent rules concerning pilot rest hours between flights. Nonetheless, the advantages of longevity in a pilot’s career — such as high income and flexible schedules — make it challenging for many to consider ending their aviation careers.
Manno observes, “The main advantages are probably the high income and schedule flexibility associated with longevity at a particular airline. Those who are hired later in their careers may not enjoy these benefits. I’ve been with my carrier for over 32 years and have an ideal flying schedule: 13 days a month, home every night. Therefore, for very senior pilots, walking away from such a fulfilling career can be incredibly difficult.”
What Pilots Do After They Retire
The debate surrounding the appropriate retirement age for pilots persists; regardless of whether it is set at 65 or 68, life after flying can be fulfilling. Many retired pilots find second careers as flight trainers, while others venture into different fields in aviation.
In contrast, Manno exemplifies a unique case; he aspires to retire without the rigors of check rides, procedures tests, evaluations, or FAA scrutiny. “When I retire, I want to walk away from flying and leave it behind,” he states.
Manno’s extensive career is not defined solely by flying. He holds a PhD in English, is a novelist and cartoonist, and teaches as an adjunct professor at Texas Wesleyan University— a position he has held since 2002.
At approximately the 15-year mark of his airline career, Manno recognized that there was indeed more to life than just climbing, cruising, descending, and landing.
