ATW Daily News

FAA to take new look at Age 60 Rule

Friday September 29, 2006

FAA Administrator Marion Blakey has established an Age 60 Aviation Rulemaking Committee composed of airline, labor and medical experts "to recommend whether the US should adopt [ICAO's] new age standard that will allow one of two pilots on the flight deck to be over age 60," the agency announced late Wednesday.

The ICAO Council adopted the new standard to increase the upper age limit for airline pilots from 60 to 65 last March and it becomes applicable on Nov. 23 to multicrew operations.

The US has had an age 60 cutoff since 1959 and FAA has refused all previous efforts to have that limit raised. However, although the agency may maintain the limit for US airlines, it cannot prevent an aircraft that is operated by a pilot-in-command holding a license from another ICAO member state who is over the age of 60 (and less than 65 years of age) with a copilot under 60 years of age from flying in its airspace once the ICAO standard takes effect.

"The FAA must ensure that any future rule change, should it occur, provides an equal or better level of safety to passengers," Blakey said in a statement. The committee has been tasked to complete its work in 60 days.

by Perry Flint

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