JAA Committee Favors Increasing Pilot Retirement Age

Europe’s Joint Airworthiness Authorities medical committee sees “no medical reason to force airline pilots to retire at 60. Indeed, it indicated there is no reason they should not be permitted to flying until age 70. The finding comes at a time when the International Civil Aviation Organization implemented an increase in the retirement age to 65. ICAO’s increase requires that one of the pilots is under 60. Dr. Jarmail Singh, chair of the Singapore Civil Aviation Medical Board who also chaired the ultra-long-range task force and is a member of the Flight Safety Foundation crew alertness committee, said that in examinations of factors affecting crew fitness to work on ultra-long-range flights - such as Singapore-New York non-stop - pilot age was determined not to be an issue. Medical experts and FAA personnel will be joined by representatives from airlines and pilot unions in the Age 60 Aviation Rulemaking Committee to examine whether the U.S. should follow suit.