EEOC Comments Concerning Adoption of ICAO Standard
The current request for comments solicits opinions on whether the FAA should adopt the new ICAO standard which increases the “upper age limit” for airline pilots up to age 65 provided another crewmember pilot is under age 60.
We support raising the age limit for Part 121 pilots to age 65 for a specific time period as a reasonable interim step in the process of eventually eliminating age as a determinative factor in the employment of airline commercial pilots. As with age 60, there is no credible medical, scientific or aviation evidence to suggest that concerns for safety require a mandatory retirement age for pilots of 65. Raising the age limit to 65, however, will serve as a useful transitional step, allowing commercial pilots to continue flying beyond age 60 while the FAA plans a full transition to individualized testing of the skills and health of all pilots, regardless of age.6