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The FAA warned Congress against raising the mandatory retirement age for airline pilots until a study can be performed to determine possible safety risks. FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker spoke at a subcommittee hearing on the state of American aviation and FAA oversight, talking about recent concerns like Boeing oversight and safety improvements. The day before the hearing, Whitaker sent a letter to Senators Maria Cantwell and Ted Cruz, encouraging the committee to allow the FAA to conduct appropriate research before making that type of change.
The mandatory pilot retirement age has been up for debate in recent years, with many concerned about the possible ramifications of raising the limit from 65 to 67. Whitaker said in his letter that pilot fitness and performance are crucial to maintaining safe operations in the National Airspace System.
"The agency has established a record of performance that is based on identifying risk factors and establishing appropriate mitigations before taking actions that could affect safety," Whitaker said in his letter. "We recognize that other countries have not conducted research before increasing their upper age limit, but in the United States, we have the largest, most complex system in the world. As Congress considers policies that affect the pool of pilots that may serve Part 121 commercial operations, we strongly encourage preceding that type of change with appropriate research so that the FAA can measure any risk associated with that policy and define appropriate mitigations."
At the hearing, Whitaker said the official position of the FAA on the raising of the retirement age was no position.
"We don't have a position on the retirement age but if it changes we'd like to have data to support the change," he said.
Whitaker went back and forth with Rep. Troy Nehls over the agency's lack of a position on retirement age. The FAA Admin stated that the agency's role is to identify issues surrounding the age limit, first to understand international compliance, and second to understand the data of changing the limit from 65 to 67. Some aviation groups have vehemently opposed the age limit change, like the Air Line Pilots Association International. The ALPA has unanimously affirmed its strong opposition to raising the age, alleging it is complicating the passage of the FAA reauthorization bill. Nehls then asked Whitaker if the ALPA influenced his decision to write a letter, to which he said, "No, not that I'm aware of."
The U.S. currently does not have any FAA-imposed age limits for pilots outside of Part 121 airline pilots. The 65-year age limit does not force the employee to retire, but rather find a non-flying role like flight engineer, or to find work at a non-Part 121 carrier. The fear is that too many qualified pilots opted for early retirement during the pandemic, leaving the industry with a pilot shortage. According to the ALPA, this idea is a myth. The organization said that there were about 6,000 retirements in 2020, which had minimal effect on supply, rather accelerating the retirements planned for the following three years, with lower retirements seen from 2021-2023.
"Consequently, pilot retirements have stabilized at approximately 3,000 retirements a year while the industry has produced nearly 10,000 new pilots for each of the last two years, including a record-breaking 11,225 in 2023," the ALPA said.
On the other hand, the Regional Airline Association has applauded the move, saying there is a growing pilot shortage and a greater shortage of airline captains, which has devastated small community air service in the U.S.
"Already, 324 airports have lost an average of one-third of their air service and 53 airports have lost more than half of their air service," the RAA said. "Fourteen airports have lost all flights."
The FAA puts safety above all, and while it has not taken an official stance on the age limit change, the agency has remained firm in the idea that the change is made following a review of possible impacts on the NAS.
"When it comes to raising the pilot retirement age, the FAA has made clear that a scientific and safety analysis must come first," Sen. Cantwell said. "That has not happened. Aviation safety is paramount, and now is not the time to take a shortcut."
The retirement age in other countries differs, but, according to Reuters, if the age limit was raised international rules would still disqualify pilots over the age of 65 from flying to most countries outside of the U.S. The age limit is one of many issues covered in the FAA Reauthorization bill, which has not passed despite two extensions. The passage would extend the agency's authority for another five years.
In addition to talking about raising the age limit, Whitaker talked about his time since joining the agency on Oct. 25, 2023 and his main areas of focus.
"Upon joining the agency, I began a process of renewed focus on potential risks to the National Airspace System, initially targeting three specific areas: first, significant safety events, including close calls and runway incursions, and related safety events; second, air traffic controller workforce issues including fatigue and the workforce shortage; and third, continuous safety improvement," Whitaker said.
The topics ranged from the recent increase in runway incursions nationwide and what the FAA has done since the Safety Summit in March 2023 to prevent such events, to the work done to increase controller hiring and training. Whitaker also talked about the Jan. 5 Boeing 737 MAX 9 incident in which a door plug was blown off midflight. Since then, the FAA has ramped up oversight of Boeing production, halted expansions to production, launched an investigation and closely monitored data to find safety risks. He stressed that the FAA will take action over any findings.RELATED STORIES:Boeing 737 MAX 9 was missing bolts before depressurization eventBoeing CEO admits 'mistake' as FAA launches safety probeLatest on 737 MAX 9 Alaska Airlines emergency - aircraft had prior issues before panel ripped off mid-flight
"Let me stress: we will follow the data and take appropriate and necessary action," he said. "The safety of the flying public will continue to inform our decision-making. We will continue to implement the Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act as recent events underscore the importance of continuously looking for ways to improve and refine safety oversight activities. Additionally, the FAA has been working closely with the National Transportation Safety Board to support their investigation of the incident. We will take further safety actions based on the findings, as necessary."
The FAA Reauthorization is still on the table, with it, so are the many controversial changes included, like raising the age limit. Whitaker joined the FAA before the busiest air travel season of the year and has pushed for change and improvements to safety in the NAS.
"I appreciate the opportunity to serve as Administrator of the FAA, and I am confident in the FAA's ability to address the challenges ahead," Whitaker said. "I also want to express the Administration's support for the enactment of a long-term FAA reauthorization bill and commend the bipartisan efforts in the House to complete this important work. I look forward to working with Congress as it considers the Administration's recently submitted views and finalizes the FAA reauthorization bill."