Senate panel revisits ban on older pilots

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A long-standing rule that forces U.S. airline pilots out of the cockpit at the age of 60 will come under congressional scrutiny Tuesday.

The Senate Commerce Committee will consider a bill that would allow airline pilots to fly until age 65.

"This is kind of an age discrimination issue," said U.S. Sen. Frank Murkowski, R-Alaska, 67, sponsor of the bill. "You know these people -- suddenly they are 60, and they are not fit to fly anymore. That is ridiculous. I would much rather fly with an experienced pilot that is 65 or 66 than someone who is just getting started."

But the change is opposed by the Federal Aviation Administration, which cited a recent study indicating non-airline pilots aged 60 to 63 had a greater accident rate than pilots aged 55 to 59.

The FAA adopted the "Age 60 Rule" in 1959 because of concerns that older pilots presented a hazard. The FAA found there was a progressive deterioration of certain physiological and psychological functions with age, and that sudden incapacity from medical problems became more frequent in any group reaching age 60.

The Air Lines Pilots Association also opposes changing the rule, saying medical science has not developed tests to identify those aging pilots who are, or will become, incapacitated.

Pilots have long argued that the cutoff age is arbitrary, and that frequent physicals for airline pilots provide an adequate safeguard. All airline pilots, regardless of age, must pass a flight physical every six months.

Last year, 69 pilots who believe they should be allowed to fly after age 60 took the matter to the U.S. Court of Appeals in Chicago, Illinois. That case is pending.

Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
  • Aviation Hearings Set for March 13
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
Air Line Pilots Association
The Age 60 Rule: How It Came To Be
airlinepilots.com: The Age 60 Rule

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