Increased Max Age for Pilots Proposed

IATA has issued a proposal that would see the maximum age for international commercial pilots raised to 67, from the current limit of 65 years old. 

The UN’s International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) will consider the proposal  on Sept. 23, 2025 at its General Assembly.

According to IATA, raising the limit by two years is a “cautious but reasonable step consistent with safety.” In a working paper, the organization stated that there would still have to be at least two pilots operating each flight, including one younger than 65 if the other pilot is above that age.

The move has been opposed by some pilot’s unions who say there’s not enough data available to adequately understand the risk of increasing the retirement age. “We don’t gamble with safety that way,” said Allied Pilots Association (APA) spokesperson Dennis Tajer to BNN Bloomberg. 

The Air Line Pilots Association, Int'l (ALPA), which represents most of Canada’s commercial pilots issued an American focused statement, despite the fact the move would affect pilots internationally, not just in the U.S. “The United States is the global leader in aviation safety, and we should resist any attempts to arbitrarily make changes to the regulatory framework that has helped us achieve this record,” says the statement on the ALPA website, referring later to the failed bid last year for the U.S. Congress to raise the age to 67. 

You can read the full proposal here.

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