(NewsNation) — A group of senators introduced legislation Tuesday that would raise the mandatory retirement age for commercial airline pilots in an effort to address nationwide staffing shortages.
It’s the second consecutive year U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., has sponsored the bill that would raise the retirement age from 65 to 67. It has bipartisan support this year, including from Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin, W.V., and Mark Kelly, Ariz., a former pilot and astronaut.
The legislation would require pilots over the age of 65 to pass a medical screening every six months.
“There is a severe and growing pilot shortage in the United States. Every air traveler sees and feels the impact when they go to the airport,” Graham said in a statement. “The traveling public deserves better than what they are currently getting. Our bill moves the needle in the right direction to address the critical pilot shortage.”
The Regional Airline Association praised the proposal, saying 324 airports have lost, on average, one-third of their air service, including 14 small airports that have lost all service. More than 400 airplanes are parked because of a lack of pilots.
RAA President Faye Malarkey Black said in an email that raising the retirement age is “the one solution that will immediately mitigate the pilot shortage, particularly the captain shortage, which is an even more acute constraint within a constraint.”
Earlier this year, Southwest Airlines cut the required flight time for pilot applicants, and American Airlines promised raises to match those at Delta.
New pilot applicants for Southwest will now need only 500 hours of turbine time, down from the 1,000 hours previously required. Aside from this change, Southwest maintained their training policies remain the same.
At American, CEO Robert Isom said this month he is ready to give pilots raises and higher retirement contributions that would average 40% over four years to match a contract recently approved by pilots at Delta Air Lines.
Manchin noted his state has lost a number of flights over the past year due to the shortage.
“This commonsense reform will help ensure air service is safe, reliable and efficient while addressing the pilot shortage,” he said in a statement.
The Air Line Pilots Association opposes proposals to increase the retirement age. Even if the proposal is approved, the union said pilots older than 65 would still not be able to fly in most countries outside the United States because of international rules.
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.
NewsNation correspondent Ryan Bass, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
