(SEPTEMBER 23, 2025) The global body for airlines, the International Air Transport Association, has asked world aviation regulators to raise the mandatory international pilot retirement age from 65 to 67, placing the proposal on the agenda of the 42nd ICAO General Assembly, which opens today. The move, filed in a working paper in August, aims to keep experienced pilots in the cockpit as airlines face a worldwide shortage and fast-growing travel demand.
For now, nothing changes: the pilot retirement age remains 65 under current International Civil Aviation Organization standards and most national rules, including those of the United States 🇺🇸.
IATA’s case and the proposal
IATA, the global airlines group representing about 350 carriers, says the two-year extension is a careful step grounded in safety. It points to improved health trends, better medical testing, and lessons from 2006, when ICAO last raised the upper limit from 60 to 65.
The proposal would apply to multi-crew international commercial operations and includes a specific safeguard: on any flight where one pilot is older than 65, at least one other pilot must be under 65.
IATA’s filing asks ICAO to:
- Increase the upper age limit for multi-crew international commercial pilots to 67.
- Keep a safety buffer requiring at least one pilot under 65 on any flight with a pilot older than 65.
- Improve medical data collection and reporting across age groups, including health screenings, medical retirements, and in-flight safety outcomes, to create a shared baseline for regulators and airlines worldwide.
IATA ties its case to the airline labor squeeze that grew as travel rebounded after the pandemic. Airlines have added capacity and routes, but training pipelines and the supply of experienced captains have struggled to keep pace. Supporters say allowing healthy, senior pilots to fly two more years would ease scheduling gaps, smooth training plans, and help carriers keep service steady in regional and long-haul markets.
Supporting arguments and international examples
Backing comes from multiple corners:
- IATA calls the shift a cautious but reasonable step.
- The advocacy group Experienced Pilots Advancing Safety argues that seasoned aviators add judgment and resilience on the flight deck.
- Some governments already allow pilots to fly past 65 in commercial operations; countries such as Australia, Brazil, and New Zealand either set higher limits or have no set upper bound in some contexts.
IATA stresses that any age change must go hand-in-hand with strong, standardized medical oversight. The 2006 jump to 65 leaned on epidemiological data showing improved longevity and health outcomes; IATA argues the same trends continue and wants a shared data hub so regulators can track performance under modern screening and monitoring.
Safety debate and political fault lines
Opposition is focused and vocal, especially in the United States. Key points:
- Pilot unions—including the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), the Allied Pilots Association, and the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association—argue raising the age could strain safety margins without enough research on health risks past 65.
- They dispute claims of a true pilot shortage and warn of regulatory tangles if countries adopt different limits for cross-border flights.
- A captain legal to fly under one nation’s rules could be barred by another’s, complicating rosters and international operations.
U.S. policy context:
- Congress considered a domestic move to age 67 during the 2023–2024 reauthorization cycle but did not pass it, leaving the FAA at 65 for Part 121 airline pilots.
- If ICAO approves the new standard, the U.S. would still need a new rulemaking to match it. If Washington delays or declines, U.S. carriers could face mixed crews and routing puzzles on some international trips.
India has added another layer: New Delhi raised concerns about foreign airlines recruiting Indian pilots and called for a code of conduct on staff movement. That signals workforce pressures touching both labor markets and safety rules.
Labor and management cast the risk-reward tradeoff differently:
- Supporters: experience can prevent incidents and modern medical checks can filter out individual risk better than a blanket age cap.
- Opponents: some age-related conditions may develop quickly and are hard to detect; they call for sustained safety research before easing workforce strains.
To keep the discussion grounded, separate what would change from what would not:
- What would change: Healthy, qualified pilots could fly international commercial trips until 67. Airlines could retain senior captains and delay some retirements, helping schedules and training.
- What would not change: Multi-crew requirements, recurrent medical checks, simulator training, and licensing standards remain in place. The proposed rule still requires at least one pilot under 65 on flights where a crewmember is older.
Process: What happens if ICAO approves the proposal
ICAO sets the global baseline. If the Assembly backs the proposal, the amendment would move through several steps before becoming part of SARPs (Standards and Recommended Practices):
- State consultation and comment.
- Review by the Air Navigation Commission.
- Adoption by the ICAO Council.
- States update domestic regulations to align with the new standard.
This rulemaking path takes time. IATA and some member states suggest a 1–2 year horizon for the new standard to appear in national rules, but timing will vary depending on domestic politics, union positions, and safety board views.
During transition, airlines could face three practical scenarios:
- Rapid alignment: Countries move quickly to 67, making scheduling easier and allowing older pilots to continue flying with few snags.
- Mixed rules: Some states adopt 67 while others stay at 65. Airlines must plan crews carefully—pairing patterns so a pilot under 65 is always on board.
- Domestic-only differences: A country may permit pilots past 65 domestically but keep 65 for international flights tied to ICAO standards, adding rostering complexity.
Practical and personal impacts
- A 64-year-old captain facing retirement next year could gain two more years of flying, affecting family finances, retirement plans, and mentoring pipelines.
- A 35-year-old first officer might see slower captain upgrades in the short term, but training and fleet plans may stabilize over the medium term.
As of today, the baseline remains 65 across ICAO and, in the United States, under the FAA. The Assembly’s debate will test whether regulators believe safety data and medical oversight can support a two-year extension now. When ICAO last changed the number in 2006, states eventually matched the new limit—but not all at once.
Key questions shaping the debate
The arguments on both sides return to three central questions:
- Does the safety record support age 67 with strong medical checks?
- Will a harmonized global standard reduce complexity and help airline operations, or will mixed national rules create more risk?
- Can the system collect and share better health and performance data across age groups to guide future decisions, rather than relying on fixed age caps?
IATA frames the request as modest; unions remain wary and emphasize safety first. Countries that already allow older pilots point to their experience; others are not ready to shift. The ICAO General Assembly is where those threads meet.
Where to follow official updates
- Federal Aviation Administration (U.S. updates on the age 65 rule): FAA
- International Civil Aviation Organization (Assembly proceedings and global standard-setting): ICAO
- International Air Transport Association (industry position and documents): IATA
- U.S. pilot unions: ALPA, Allied Pilots Association
What happens this week in Montreal won’t end the conversation. Even if ICAO approves 67, states will need to consult, legislate, and implement. If the Assembly declines to act now, pressure from airlines and some governments will likely persist and proposals could return with new data in future sessions. Either way, the outcome will shape pilot careers, airline schedules, and training plans for years—and keep the balance between safety and workforce needs at the center of aviation policy.
This Article in a Nutshell
IATA has proposed that ICAO raise the mandatory international pilot retirement age from 65 to 67, citing improved health trends, better medical screening, and the 2006 precedent of raising the limit from 60 to 65. The change targets multi-crew international commercial operations and includes a safeguard requiring at least one pilot under 65 on flights where a crewmember is older. IATA also requests standardized medical data collection to inform regulators. The proposal faces opposition from major pilot unions concerned about safety and the adequacy of evidence. If ICAO approves, the amendment must pass consultation, commission review, council adoption, and national rulemaking — a process likely taking 1–2 years and potentially producing mixed regulatory outcomes that affect rostering and international operations.
