Says Matter Is One Of Safety, Not Economics
As Aero-News reported this
week, the matter of pilot retirement age has been at
the forefront of talks on Capitol Hill... with the FAA agreeing to
hold a forum to consider adopting the standard recently enacted by
the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) that allows
pilots between the ages of 60-65 to fly commercial airliners under
certain conditions.
Those in favor of raising the age restriction have cited a study
done earlier this year by Darryl Jenkins, called "A Cost Benefit
Analysis of S.65 and Reforming the Age 60 Rule on the Federal
Government." This week, the Allied Pilots Association (APA) -- the
collective bargaining agent for the 13,000 pilots of American
Airlines -- published an analytical review rebutting that study,
and the arguments it makes.
APA -- which is firmly against changing the Age 60 rule --
reports the Jenkins document was circulated among members of
Congress and other interested parties. Pending legislation in
Congress calls for raising the mandatory pilot retirement age in
the US to 65.
"Mr. Jenkins’ work erroneously assumes that the federal
government loses Social Security and income tax revenue when a
pilot retires at age 60. When one pilot retires, another pilot
replaces him -- just as in any other industry when workers retire,"
said Captain Ralph Hunter, APA president. "The job itself
doesn’t go away. After all, when was the last time anyone saw
an airliner flying around with an empty cockpit seat?"
Hunter noted that Jenkins' analysis ignores the fact that it's
irrelevant to the Social Security Administration whether a retiree
begins receiving Social Security benefits at age 62 and a half, or
waits until age 65. If the retiree elects to receive benefits as
soon as they're eligible — at age 62 and a half -— the
Social Security Administration reduces their monthly benefit
accordingly. The Social Security Administration's total obligation
does not increase.
"Many pilots who retire at age 60 work in some other capacity
after retirement, resulting in a net positive for the federal
government, versus the deficit Mr. Jenkins purports," Hunter said.
"The retired pilot continues earning income and continues to pay
Social Security tax and federal income tax."
According to Hunter,
Jenkins completely sidesteps the overriding reason behind age 60
retirement — the safety of the traveling public. Since the
Federal Aviation Administration's 1959 introduction of mandatory
retirement at age 60 for airline pilots, not one single airline
accident has been attributed to the sudden or subtle effects of
aging. The FAA does not support any increase in the mandatory
retirement age.
"We sympathize with those pilots who wish to extend their
working careers, but public safety must take precedence over
financial considerations," he said. "Other safety-sensitive
occupations in the United States also have mandatory retirement
ages, including air traffic controllers, who must retire at age
56.
"As firsthand observers of the very real impact of aging on
pilot skills, the majority of our nation's commercial airline
pilots support the existing policy," Hunter said.
Recent proposals by the International Civil Aviation
Organization (ICAO) to increase the mandatory retirement age for
non-U.S. pilots require that one pilot in the cockpit be under the
age of 60. That stance supports APA's argument, according to
Hunter.
"Despite its support for raising pilot retirement age, even ICAO
evidently has questions about how old is too old," he said.
Founded in 1963, APA is headquartered in Fort Worth, TX. There
are currently 2,852 American Airlines pilots on furlough. The
furloughs began shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Also,
several hundred American Airlines pilots are on full-time military
leave of absence serving in the armed forces.