A global airline lobby group has urged the United Nations’ aviation body to raise the international retirement age for commercial pilots from 65 to 67, citing a shortage of aviators to meet growing passenger demand.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA), which represents around 350 airlines, submitted the proposal to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which will debate the issue at its General Assembly beginning September 23.
Current ICAO regulations prevent pilots over the age of 65 from operating international flights, with many countries, including the United States, applying the same limit domestically. IATA argues that a modest two-year extension would help airlines meet surging demand while maintaining safety.
The group also suggested safeguards, such as requiring that any flight crew include at least one pilot under 65 if another is above that age.
“The move is a cautious but reasonable step consistent with safety,” IATA said in a working paper published on ICAO’s website.
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The proposal is not without controversy. U.S. pilot unions, including the Allied Pilots Association (APA), remain firmly opposed, warning that extending the retirement age could jeopardize flight safety. “There is not enough data available to adequately understand the risk of increasing the retirement age.
We don’t gamble with safety that way,” APA spokesperson and American Airlines pilot Dennis Tajer told Reuters.
ICAO last raised the age ceiling in 2006, moving it from 60 to 65. A similar effort in the U.S. Congress last year, supported by major carriers, failed amid union opposition. More recently, a bipartisan group of lawmakers has urged President Donald Trump’s administration to back the international push for a higher age limit.
The debate reflects mounting pressure on airlines worldwide, where pilot shortages have already strained schedules and forced carriers to cut some routes.