But There's Little Incentive For Pilots To Come Back

Faced with a continued shortage of qualified pilots -- and in light of recent passage of the "Age 65" rule governing airline pilot retirements -- several carriers are reportedly going after retired pilots, hoping to lure them back into the cockpit for a few more years.

The Fort Worth (TX) Star-Telegram reports a number of carriers, including Dallas-based Southwest Airlines, have begun recruiting pilots who were forced to retire when they turned 60, under previous regulations, but are still a few years away from the new mandatory retirement age of 65.

"There are lot of pilots who love flying, it’s an absolute passion for them, and they may be interested in coming back," said Southwest spokesperson Brandy King. "So we want to give them that opportunity." Delta and EOS, a European business-class airline that flies between New York and London, have also reportedly stepped up efforts to recruit retired pilots.

As with any decision, there are advantages and disadvantages for retired pilots who may look to return to the cockpit... arguably, more of the latter.

The biggest advantage for retired pilots coming back to work, is it would once again provide them with a steady source of income. Many saw their retirement benefits and pension plans slashed, as domestic carriers suffered through numerous bankruptcies over the past several years.

"Many of these pilots are living on just 25 to 30 percent of what they thought they were going to have," said Kit Darby, a pilot and president of consulting firm AIR Inc. "So they’re a needy group, and some of them are going to jump at the chance to go back to flying."

As for disadvantages, there are many. Even the most experienced retired pilots would have to go through the entire hiring process, including two weeks of interviews and additional training. "It would be all the things that a new pilot does," said Southwest's King.

Speaking of new pilots, that's exactly how retirees would be treated. In a concession to the Air Line Pilots Association, the Age 65 law was drafted to discourage pilots already forced to retire, but not yet 65, from returning to the airline work force. That means pilots hired back after retirement forego all previous seniority, and will start out as new recruits... with little to no say on which routes they'd fly, on what equipment.

That means may see former captains, with years of experience under their belts flying widebody airliners on trans-Atlantic runs, at the very top of their pay grade... relegated to being first officers onboard regional jets, flying out of Cincinnati, answering to captains less than half their age, all the while barely making a livable wage.

Understandably, that's a thoroughly unattractive prospect for many -- or, as AIR Inc.'s Darby puts it, a scenario "frustrating for some pilots who were at the peak of their careers."

Still, airlines remain optimistic a number of retired pilots will opt to return to the fold. King estimates Southwest has about 200 retired pilots qualified for rehiring. "We have no idea how many want to come back," she said. "Obviously some of them are enjoying their retirement and don’t want to go back to work."

"Every airline is looking at this right now, and at some point I think all of them are going to be (recruiting retired pilots)," Darby adds. "It’s a group with a lot of experience and a lot of them want to come back."

FMI: www.southwest.com, www.delta.com, www.eosairlines.com, www.jet-jobs.com