Age-60 Rule Is Under Fire Again

A battle that's simmered for years is in the limelight again -- this time before Congress.  Thirty airline veterans began a two-day lobbying campaign Tuesday in Washington asking lawmakers to repeal the age-60 rule -- as they've had no luck with the FAA on this one.

Paul Emens, founder of Airline Pilots Against Age Discrimination, says the US could save around a billion-dollars per year -- mostly in Social Security and pension benefits -- if pilots were allowed to fly five years more to age 65.

Older pilots say the change is more important than ever for them, especially since many airlines have restructured and drastically reduced or eliminated employee pension benefits.

United captain Allan Englehardt has flown for United for 37 years, he's 59. He says the $142,000 per year pension he'd counted on is gone, replaced with a bankruptcy court-sanctioned annuity from the US government's Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation paying around $30,000. Pilots say five more years could help offset lost pension benefits with another $800,000 to a million dollars in income.

The FAA maintains there is no compelling scientific evidence to warrant review of the current rule -- which is based on the assumption older pilots pose a greater medical risk. But older pilots disagree, citing Israel's El Al pilots who have flown to age 65 for the past 15 years with no reported age-related accidents.

Englehardt told the Associated Press, "Safety is no longer an issue for discussion, as foreign airlines from all parts of the world have, for many years, demonstrated that they have been able to safely fly to age 65."

Effective November 23, the International Civil Aviation Organization will raise age limits for pilots worldwide. Currently, the FAA allows El Al pilots older than 60 to fly into the US only as co-pilots. After November 23, they'll have to allow pilots up to 65 so long as they are accompanied by a co-pilot under 60.

"The issue was age discrimination, but now it has become discrimination against Americans," Englehardt said. "It's the rights of Americans who have served our country in the military and paid taxes for 40 years, versus the rights being given to foreign pilots who pay no taxes."

Ironically, older pilots face opposition even from their own. Duane Woerth, President of ALPA, the Air Line Pilot's Association, favors keeping the current rule, claiming it's impossible to determine which older pilots might suffer a sudden catastrophic medical problem.

A transportation appropriations bill approved by committee -- and containing a provision to up the age limit to 65 -- is before the full Senate, but it's unlikely to pass before the fall recess.

There does appear to be at least some movement by the FAA on the issue, however... as Wednesday, FAA Administrator Marion C. Blakey established a forum of airline, labor and medical experts to recommend whether the United States should adopt the new ICAO standard. The forum also will determine what actions would be necessary if the FAA were to change its rule.

"The FAA must ensure that any future rule change, should it occur, provides an equal or better level of safety to passengers," said Blakey. "I’m looking forward to hearing from the experts so the FAA can make informed decisions as the ICAO standard is implemented and Congress considers this issue."

Hmm... it looks like it pays to take your case to the top!

FMI: www.apaad.org, www.faa.gov