Influential US Congressman John Mica has called for fast passage of bipartisan legislation to increase the commercial airline pilot age to 65, saying US FAA reauthorization legislation that contains the measure is not likely to be enacted before year-end.
Congress is scheduled to adjourn later this month. The House of Representatives this year passed FAA reauthorization legislation, but the Senate has yet to act on a companion bill.
“It is very clear that legislation to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration will not be signed into law before the end of this year,” says Mica in a letter to House transportation committee chairman Jim Oberstar.
“Therefore, I strongly believe it is our obligation and this committee’s responsibility to pursue every legislative avenue to ensure that our most experienced pilots are permitted to continue flying commercial aircraft.”
The so-called “Freedom to Fly Act of 2007” was introduced earlier this year by Congressman Robin Hayes and currently has 313 cosponsors, including Mica.
“Our nation’s most experienced pilots are being forced into retirement at the alarming rate of more than 50 senior pilots every week. Moving this legislation promptly would save the jobs of our most seasoned commercial airline pilots at a time when a critical pilot shortage is approaching,” says Mica.
“This initiative has tremendous support and these pilots’ families cannot afford to wait another day for Congress to approve this needed change in the law.”
Current US law, put in place in 1959, limits both pilots’ maximum age to 60. The FAA is expected to table a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) that would allow one pilot to be up to age 65 provided the other pilot is under age 60. However, the rulemaking process could take up to three years to complete, says Mica.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
