Facing shortage of pilots, Japan plans to raise age limit to 67
The transport ministry plans to raise the age limit for airline pilots from 64 to 67 to address a shortage following increasing demand for flights and the growth of low-cost carriers, government sources said Tuesday.

The Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry is expected to lift the age limit from late April, the sources said. The age limit was raised to 64 from 62 in 2004.

Under the new rules, airlines will have to provide stricter health checkups to ensure that pilots aged 65 and over are in good shape, they said.

The ministry plans to limit these pilots’ maximum flying hours to 80 percent of the usual amount — or 80 hours per month and 216 hours over a three-month period. It also intends to put pilots aged below 60 on board the same flights, the sources said. Source: The Japan Times