Blackburn, Thune, Kelly Call on USICAO to Raise Mandatory Commercial Pilot Retirement Age

Blackburn, Thune, Kelly Call on USICAO to Raise Mandatory Commercial Pilot Retirement Age
July 15, 2025
WASHINGTON, D.C.
– U.S. Senator
Marsha Blackburn
(R-Tenn.), Senate Majority Leader
John Thune
(R-S.D.), and U.S. Senator
Mark Kelly
(D-Ariz.) sent a letter to U.S Secretary of State
Marco Rubio
and U.S. Mission to the International Civil Aviation Organization (USICAO) Chargé d’Affaires
Anthony Clare
urging them to support ICAO’s effort to raise the mandatory commercial pilotretirement age. This would reduce the pilot shortage and increase safety by ensuring the most qualified and experienced pilots are on the flight deck.
As the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) seeks to dominate international organizations around the world, the United States must not allow our adversary to lead international aviation standards, build goodwill with our allies, or gain a competitive advantage over the U.S.
Global
Data Confirms Experienced Pilots Have Less Accidents than Junior Pilots
During the 14th Air Navigation Conference held last year from August 26th to September 6th, the ICAO advanced formal action directed at raising or even eliminating the institution’s
recommended
pilot retirement age of 65 years. This initiative—led by Canada, Australia, Brazil, Japan, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the International Air Transport Association— makes it increasingly likely that the international community will move to increase the suggested retirement age in the near future. Such a move would be consistent with data from around the world, which confirm that experienced pilots have fewer accidents than junior pilots. Therefore, it would stand to reason that raising or eliminating the pilot retirement age—coupled with the existing rigorous technical and medical testing that pilots undergo—would result in a reductionof accidents by closing the experience gap and retaining the greatest level of experience our passengers expect on the flight deck. In fact, many countries around the world already allow pilots above the age of 65 to fly and have been doing so without compromising safety.”
Senator Blackburn Has Led the Effort to Raise the Mandatory Commercial Pilot Retirement Age
“Last Congress, in the Senate Commerce Committee, Senator Blackburn led several of her colleagues in an amendment to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorizationwhich would have raised the mandatory commercial pilot retirement age from 65 to 67. This amendment did not alter any other qualification to become a commercial pilot and was widely supported by industry.”
USICAO
Must Not Cede Its Leadership Role
to
China by Sitting
on
the Sidelines of this Debate
“The United States is one of ICAO’s largest member states and one of 36 states that make up the ICAO Council. The USICAO is tasked with improving the safety, security, and sustainability of civil aviation in the U.S., and, as such, has an obligation to advocate for changes to international standards to benefit American consumers and our dominance in the skies. Therefore, the USICAO should not spend this debate sitting on the sidelines. As I know you understand, if the United States cedes our leadership role in this space on the international stage, China—who is presently and actively joining our partners to advocate for raising the pilot retirement age—will gladly fill that void.”
Click
here
to
read the full letter.
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Blackburn Introduces Legislation to Reduce Air Traffic Controller Shortages
Blackburn, Kelly, Thune, Manchin, Graham Urge USICAO to Raise Mandatory CommercialPilot Retirement Age
Blackburn, Colleagues’ Legislation Addresses Pilot Shortage
https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/index.php/2025/7/general/blackburn-thune-kelly-call-on-usicao-to-raise-mandatory-commercial-pilot-retirement-age