With ICAO keeping retirement at 65, I really don’t see the US changing our retirement age any time soon. There aren’t any contractual requirements for airlines to build carve out lines with domestic only for pilots who are over 65, nor to force older pilots into lower paying positions. If their seniority can hold the seat, they are awarded the seat and will have to be pay protected and bought off of their trips. The CEO’s of the various airlines will testify before Congress that having to keep pilots on the books who can’t fly international would add significant cost to the company, which they would immediately pass on to the consumer in the form of higher ticket prices. The politicians want zero cost political points, not to be blamed for raising the cost of travel. Unless ICAO changes, there’s really nothing to worry about in the US. When they change, we’ll almost certainly follow.

 

Because the politicians in DC have nothing better to do right now than listen to some [mod edit] complain about an issue no-one there really cares about...
Money well spent. Send more!

 

There isnt a politician out there, nor will there be for decades and decades, that will sign off on autonomous planes, hover bikes, or even single pilot ops imho. Cya in full effect

 

Lol pay protection…

If you aren’t qualified to go somewhere you don’t get pay.

 

Depends on your contract. I can bid an airport or area that requires a special qual. If the company doesn’t put a LCA with me to give me the checkout, they buy the trip. For a WB pilot not legal to fly international, they’d have to buy the trip and there wouldn’t be very many places that they could be reassigned. There isn’t a contract limitation preventing me from bidding something that I’m not qualified to fly. If my seniority can hold it, I’m awarded the trip and it becomes the company’s problem to get me qualified.

 

I would imagine the Association could solve that issue rather quickly via LOA. The majority of the membership would have near zero interest in supporting good deals for the gummers after any age increase windfall. All the company would have to do is throw in a small incentive and that pay protection would be gone faster than you can say “positive space commuting.”

 

I honestly don’t think it will come to that. Without ICAO changing also, the airline CEO’s will report how much they’re going to raise ticket prices to compensate for the additional cost and the proposal will be DOA. No politician wants to be blamed for rising ticket prices, they’ll just move the issue to the back burner, pocket the lobbyists money, and give it nothing more than lip service until ICAO changes as well.

 

Most rational take we’ve seen so far

 

we need more explanation points!!!

 

I completely agree with you. Throw in a recently signed FAA reauthorization bill and there is a near zero chance of the retirement age being raised in the next 3 to 5 years.