IATA Proposes Raising Pilot Retirement Age to 67 Amid Growing Pilot Shortage, ETInfra

<p>In 2006, the age limit for multi-pilot operations was raised from 60 to 65 years.</p> — In 2006, the age limit for multi-pilot operations was raised from 60 to 65 years.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has proposed increasing the upper age limit for commercial pilots on multi-crew flights to 67 years, citing rising demand and a shortage of qualified personnel.

According to a PTI report, the proposal has been submitted to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in a working paper titled Proposal to Raise the Multi-Pilot Commercial Air Transport Pilot Age Limit to 67 years. IATA, which represents around 350 airlines including Air India, IndiGo and SpiceJet, stated growth in the aviation industest is leading to demand for pilots outpacing supply.

Safety and medical assessment

In 2006, the age limit for multi-pilot operations was raised from 60 to 65 years. IATA stated the relocate had not compromised safety and described the increase to 67 as a “cautious but reasonable step consistent with safety”.

The working paper noted that in Canada, Australia and New Zealand there are no upper age limits for pilots, including those in commercial air transport operations. In India, the retirement age for commercial pilots remains 65 years.

The association stated raising the age limit is consistent with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the Next Generation of Aviation Professionals (NGAP) programme, which seeks to ensure a sufficient supply of trained aviation personnel.

IATA stated its proposal supports ICAO’s efforts to introduce more integrated medical assessment systems. It suggested standardised risk assessment and oversight systems informed by medical data to monitor risks associated with pilot age.

“The two leading concerns for future risk of medical-cautilize fatal accidents are mental health conditions and problematic substance utilize (e.g., alcohol and other drugs). These potential cautilizes of aviation-related fatalities tfinish to present in a younger demographic,” the working paper stated.

India raises pilot poaching concerns

Separately, India has submitted a working paper to ICAO highlighting concerns over foreign airlines recruiting pilots from Indian carriers.“India would like to raise its concern on the repeated tfinishency of the carriers of some contracting states to induct the trained technical staffing of the Indian carriers without any consultation/notice, thereby potentially caapplying disruption in the orderly conduct of civil aviation in India,” the paper stated.

India has called for the development of a code of conduct on the relocatement of staff among member states.