Wednesday, December 07, 2005

India raises pilot retirement age

In the face of what is described as a severe pilots shortage, India has raised the mandatory retirement age for commercial pilots from 61 to 65. Earlier this year, the retirement age was raised from 60 to 61.

The new rule includes a clause that says that pilots between the ages of 60 and 65 must fly with a co-pilot who is under the age of 60.

According to an article in FlightInternational.com:
India’s airlines have been suffering from a shortage of pilots since early this year, largely because new carriers in the booming low-cost sector have been hiring personnel from established airlines.

All carriers have been affected by the shortage and some have been forced to ground aircraft until new pilots can be trained or hired. The government has also implemented a rule requiring pilots to give six months’ notice before joining another airline.

1 comments:

Matt Keegan said...

I think this is reasonable. Years ago, while working for a corporate operator, one pilot I knew told me that he was retiring. When I asked him why he replied, "Because I am 65."

Honestly, he looked mid 50s tops and was in very good health. In my opinion, there should be some allowance for people who are in their sixties to work if they would like to do so. Stringent medical exams, already in place, can keep those in declining or poor health out of the cockpit while allowing the fit folks to fly.

Good for India; pairing them with a younger pilot is smart too!