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☆ Captain Sully and the FAA are warning against plans to force pilots to retire later — as aviation safety comes into laser focus during the Boeing scandal
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Read previewCaptain Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberg and aviation regulators are warning Congress against raising the mandatory retirement age for pilots to 67. But as Congress works on the reauthorization bill, aviation experts are raising concerns about this potential measure. AdvertisementOn Monday, FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker wrote a letter to Senators Ted Cruz and Maria Cantwell, who sit on the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. "The pilot retirement age should not be raised," he said in a Wednesday X post. It says it wouldn't increase the number of pilots working, per the AP.

Persons: —, Chesley, Sully, Sullenberg, Mike Whitaker, Ted Cruz, Maria Cantwell, Whitaker Organizations: Service, Federal Aviation Administration, Business, Reuters, Commerce, Science, Transportation, FAA, Pilots, Regional Airline Association, Associated Press, Air Line Pilots Association Locations: Canada

☆ US airline pilots fight their unions to increase retirement age
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Rajesh Kumar Singh | Allison Lampert | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Increasing the age limit by two years would also align pilot retirement with the minimum federal retirement age, allowing them to receive full social security benefits. But the specific question of increasing the retirement age to 67 was never brought to the floor for a vote. “This is a coup by junior pilots against senior pilots,” said Allen Baker, who retired as a United Airlines pilot in June. Dennis Tajer, a spokesman for American Airlines pilots union, said pilots seeking higher retirement age want to keep earning longer. But United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby has said lifting the retirement age would not solve the pilot shortage.

Persons: Bo Ellis, F, Andrew Kelly ALPA, Ellis, ALPA, ”, “, ” ALPA, Rick Redfern, Savanthi Syth, Raymond James ., Dan Carr, Carr, Allen Baker, Baker, Dennis Tajer, Jason Ambrosi, Barry Biffle, Scott Kirby, Jonathan Ornstein Organizations: Reuters, Air Line Pilots Association, Kennedy International Airport, REUTERS, U.S . Congress, Regional Airline Association, Southwest Airlines, Air, Mesa, MESA, United Airlines, United, U.S . Senate, Raymond James . JUNIOR, American Airlines, Frontier Airlines, International Air Transport Association Locations: Queens , New York City, U.S, Delta, United, Redfern, Canada, Japan, Australia, Mesa

Increasing the age limit by two years would also align pilot retirement with the minimum federal retirement age, allowing them to receive full social security benefits. But the specific question of increasing the retirement age to 67 was never brought to the floor for a vote. "This is a coup by junior pilots against senior pilots," said Allen Baker, who retired as a United Airlines pilot in June. Dennis Tajer, a spokesman for American Airlines pilots union, said pilots seeking higher retirement age want to keep earning longer. But United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby has said lifting the retirement age would not solve the pilot shortage.

Persons: F, Andrew Kelly, Bo Ellis, ALPA, Ellis, Rick Redfern, Savanthi Syth, Raymond James ., Dan Carr, Carr, Allen Baker, Baker, Dennis Tajer, Jason Ambrosi, Barry Biffle, Scott Kirby, Jonathan Ornstein, Rajesh Kumar Singh, Allison Lampert, Ben Klayman, Grant McCool Organizations: Pilots, Kennedy International Airport, REUTERS, Air Line Pilots Association, U.S . Congress, Regional Airline Association, Southwest Airlines, Reuters, Mesa, MESA, United Airlines, United, U.S . Senate, Raymond James . JUNIOR, American Airlines, Frontier Airlines, International Air Transport Association, Thomson Locations: Queens , New York City, U.S, Redfern, Canada, Japan, Australia, Chicago, Montreal

☆ Aviation bill upping pilot retirement age to 67 passed by US House
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The vote in the Republican-led House was 351-69 to pass the bill that would reauthorize U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) aviation safety and infrastructure programs for the next five years. The Air Line Pilots Association has said hiking the retirement age could cause airline scheduling and pilot training issues and require reopening pilot contracts. The White House said this week it opposed a House bill provision that would rescind a 2012 Transportation Department regulation requiring airlines to advertise full fares including government fees and taxes. The House measure would bar airlines from charging fees to allow families to sit together on flights. The House opted to retain pilot training rules that were adopted after a 2009 fatal passenger airplane crash near Buffalo.

Persons: Joe Biden, David Shepardson, Will Dunham, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: U.S . House, Senate, Republican, . Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, Air Line Pilots, Regional Airline Association, Transportation, Washington Reagan National Airport, Delta Air Lines, Airlines for America, Democratic, Colgan Air, U.S, Thomson Locations: United States, Buffalo

☆ U.S. House passes aviation bill upping pilot retirement age to 67
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Air Line Pilots Association has said hiking the retirement age could cause airline scheduling and pilot training issues and require reopening pilot contracts. The White House said this week it opposed a House bill provision that would rescind a 2012 Transportation Department regulation requiring airlines to advertise full fares including government fees and taxes. The House measure also did not include a provision sought by President Joe Biden to compensate passengers for delays or set minimum airline seat sizes. The House measure would bar airlines from charging fees to allow families to sit together on flights. The House opted to retain pilot training rules that were adopted after a 2009 fatal passenger airplane crash near Buffalo.

Persons: Joe Biden Organizations: United Airlines, Newark Liberty International Airport, U.S . House, Senate, Republican, . Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, Air Line Pilots, Regional Airline Association, Transportation, Washington Reagan National Airport, Delta Air Lines, Airlines for America, Democratic, Colgan Air, U.S Locations: Newark , New Jersey, United States, Buffalo

☆ US House to weigh bill allowing older pilots, other aviation reforms
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The House bill, approved 63-0 by the Transportation Committee in June, would reauthorize Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) aviation safety and infrastructure programs for the next five years. The pilot age proposal faces opposition from unions and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg who worry it could complicate operations. The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) says it could cause airline scheduling and pilot training issues and require reopening pilot contracts. Buttigieg told Fox News Radio Friday that "I would want to see a lot more data before we could feel comfortable with any kind of change" to the pilot age rules. The House bill would also bar airlines from charging family seating fees but would not impose new rules sought by President Joe Biden to compensate passengers for delays.

Persons: Pete Buttigieg, Buttigieg, Joe Biden, David Shepardson, Susan Heavey Organizations: U.S . House, Republican, Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, Air Line Pilots Association, Fox News Radio, Regional Airline Association, Senate, Colgan Air, U.S, Reagan Washington National Airport, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, American Airlines, Thomson Locations: United States, Russia, Buffalo

☆ Deadline for airline retrofits could impact
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Multiple US air carriers told CNN Thursday that they will be able to meet the deadline. It added that all of its widebody aircraft will have the upgraded equipment by the deadline. The Regional Airline Association, meanwhile, said that most of its members’ planes were retrofitted ahead of a deadline last fall, and that they have plans to retrofit the remaining planes. That delay followed an even earlier postponement negotiated by the wireless carriers and the aviation industry, which had raised broad concerns that 5G signals might affect air travel. The deadline comes after a week of heavy flight disruptions linked to weather that are beginning to subside, with the exception of United.

Persons: Pete Buttigieg, ” Buttigieg, Buttigieg, CNN’s Gregory Wallace Organizations: New, New York CNN, Verizon, Transportation, Airlines for America, CNN, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Delta, Regional Airline Association Locations: New York, Delta

☆ Lawmakers wrangle over measures to address pilot shortage
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Greg Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —A series of controversial proposals to address the airline pilot shortage is complicating Congress’ consideration of a new slate of Federal Aviation Administration policies with one senator warning fellow lawmakers there will be blood on their hands if reduced pilot training causes a fatal accident. The measures presented by lawmakers include raising the pilot retirement age, allowing more training to occur in a flight simulator rather than aircraft cockpit, and fast-tracking training programs. The measures are hotly contested and are aimed at addressing a shortage in airline pilots that was exacerbated by the pandemic. The Illinois Democrat scolded those who feel simulator training will be equivalent and said she didn’t believe reducing training hours would solve the shortage. On the House side, the House Transportation Committee narrowly approved an amendment that would raise the mandatory pilot retirement age by two years to 67.

Persons: Sen, John Thune of, Republican Sen, Jerry Moran, ”, “, Jason Ambrosi, Tammy Duckworth, Troy Nehls, ” Nehls, You’re, Rick Larsen, Nehls Organizations: CNN, Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, Republican, Senate, Air Line Pilots Association union, Illinois Democrat, Transportation, Texas Republican, AARP, Regional Airline Association, United, ” Locations: John Thune of South Dakota, Kansas, Iraq, Illinois, Texas, American, Delta

☆ U.S. House panel votes to raise commercial pilot retirement age to 67
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, June 14 (Reuters) - A U.S. House of Representatives committee on Wednesday narrowly voted to raise the mandatory commercial pilot retirement age to 67 from 65. The pilot age proposal faces opposition from unions and an uncertain fate by a U.S. Senate committee, which will consider its version of the FAA measure on Thursday and does not currently include the pilot age hike. "Raising the pilot retirement age keeps experienced pilots -- particularly, captains -- in place," RAA said. The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) opposed raising the retirement age and says it could cause airline scheduling and pilot training issues and require reopening pilot contracts. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg does not support raising the pilot retirement age.

Persons: Troy Nehls, Sam Graves, RAA, ALPA, Lindsey Graham, Pete Buttigieg, David Shepardson, David Gregorio Our Organizations: U.S . House, Wednesday, House Transportation, Infrastructure, Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, Republican, U.S, Senate, Regional Airline Association, Air Line Pilots Association, Thomson Locations: United States

☆ House committee votes to raise pilot retirement age to 67 amid aviator shortage
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Leslie Josephs | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A House panel voted Wednesday to raise the mandatory retirement age for commercial airline pilots to 67 from 65 as the industry faces a persistent shortage of aviators. The last time Congress raised the pilot retirement age was in 2007 when it was raised from 60 to 65. The committee voted 63-0 on the proposed FAA reauthorization bill Wednesday, but it now faces a vote in the full House. It isn't clear whether the new retirement age provision would be in a final version of the bill or make it through a vote in either chamber. The Air Line Pilots Association, the country's biggest pilot labor union, which represents aviators at major carriers such as Delta and United , has opposed the measure.

Persons: Faye Malarkey Black Organizations: United Airlines Boeing, Newark Liberty International Airport, Committee, Transportation, Infrastructure, Federal Aviation Administration, Regional Airline Association, Airlines, FAA, Air Line Pilots Association Locations: Newark , New Jersey, Delta

☆ Airlines are combating the pilot shortage by paying pilots more, making it easier to become one, and hiring from Australia
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

An ongoing pilot shortage has plagued US airlines since travel came roaring back post-pandemic. While some organizations — like the Regional Airline Association advocacy group — have praised the legalization, the Air Line Pilots Association has opposed it, Reuters reported. Increasing pilot payRegional flying has been particularly impacted by the pilot shortage, forcing airlines to slash dozens of flights to small markets and even ground regional jets. Other regional carriers like Mesa Airlines, Republic Airways, and Delta's wholly-owned airline Endeavor Air have also gotten pay increases. Lowering training requirementsRegional carrier Republic recently asked the FAA to reduce the flight hour requirement for pilots graduating from its LIFT pilot training academy.

☆ US airlines about to be hit with ‘tsunami’ of pilot retirements
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Greg Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Washington DC CNN —The US airline industry is about to be hit with a “tsunami of pilot retirements” that will further the nation’s pilot shortage, limiting flight availability for passengers and putting upward pressure on fares, an industry group told Congress Wednesday. Black’s group represents the regional carriers which provide feeder service for the larger airlines such as American, United (UAL)and Delta (DAL). But the union representing most US airline pilots urged Congress against changing pilot qualification and training standards in an attempt to address the pilot shortage, saying some ideas would compromise safety. The Regional Airline Association, representing carriers that connect major cities to smaller regional airports, noted that the airlines are not the only destination for pilots with that qualification and warned of a significant pilot shortage that will get worse with a “tsunami” of retirements. Senior airline pilots frequently fly international routes, but international rules have an age 65 limit.

☆ Pilot shortages and increasing travel demand are causing backups at major airports. The solution may be as simple as using bigger planes.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( Aidan Pollard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Airlines are putting passengers on bigger planes, as a pilot shortage and congestion at major airports continues. But there may be a simple solution — flying bigger planes. Still, a United spokesperson told CNBC the airline would fly about 3,600 domestic flights with large or wide-body aircraft. "Not every gate is equal," Cox told CNBC. Even as airlines like United put bigger planes at their gates when possible, passengers and congestion are still piling up.

☆ Senators propose raising US commercial pilots mandatory retirement age
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, March 21 (Reuters) - A group of seven U.S. senators on Tuesday proposed legislation to raise the mandatory commercial pilot retirement age to 67 from 65, in a bid to address airline industry staffing issues. The proposal, which would require pilots over age 65 to pass a rigorous medical screening every six months, follows complaints of pilot shortages by many regional airlines. The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) opposes proposals to increase the retirement age. Graham previously noted that in 2007 the United States raised the mandatory retirement age from 60 to 65, and "the sky did not fall." Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has previously said he does not support raising the pilot retirement age.

Labor shortagesAs the pandemic swooped in, air travel was among the industries most affected, as more than 90% of flights were grounded. Today, labor shortages exist throughout the economy, but the problem drags on in the air travel sector, where more extensive employee training is usually required. Steven Senne / APOutdated technology and infrastructureThere is near-universal agreement that the infrastructure underpinning segments of America's air travel system is outdated and vulnerable. Rep. Sam Graves, R-Montana, said the incident highlighted "a huge vulnerability in our air transportation system." Air travel should be predictable and consistent, and you shouldn’t have to wonder if air traffic control is going to be working today as you head to the airport.

Airlines’ service cuts that ramped up this summer show no sign of relenting this holiday season, leaving more travelers likely to pay higher fares for fuller planes at crowded airports. And while dozens of small cities receive federal subsidies to support air travel through the long-running Essential Air Service program, Malarkey Black said even 29 of those communities are facing potential cutbacks due to pilot shortages. For the regional flights that do remain, “fares are up markedly as a result of service cuts,” said Scott Keyes, the founder of Scott’s Cheap Flights. Major U.S. carriers have cited pilot shortages for their cuts at regional airports, with some of them saying the labor crunch would take years to resolve. “Commercial air service is an expected amenity to both businesses and residents alike,” Grover said, promising to work “relentlessly, tenaciously” to restore it.

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