Many would retire anyway because they don't want to work any longer, and had 65 set as the arbitrary finish line.

Some will retire early, even before 65 because they've met financial goals.

Some will work as long as they can because they need the money, either through poor planning or bad luck.

A few just like their jobs and will keep doing it if they can.


But what everybody forgets is ICAO... can't do international over age 65, and I'm pretty darn sure that that includes MX and CA. So widebody CA's would have to take a paycut, retrain, and fly NB's. I believe they would also have to be accommodated to stay domestic (really domestic). Many would not be interested in doing that. Also it's entirely possible that airlines would not be required to "accommodate" them by giving them domestic schedules outside of seniority. Airlines might be able to require that all pilots be legally eligible to fly to all destinations for a fleet they bid into.

Between high longevity, WB=>NB flowdown training events, and higher health and disability benefit costs, airlines will not see this as a windfall. They might go for it anyway if they think they need a bandaid to mitigate some of the pilot shortage.

As far as life expectancy, pilots on average live longer than the population average simply due to being higher on the socio-economic ladder. Yeah we take a hit due to OTJ environmental factors but not that big of a hit. Except maybe cargo people.