European regulations that insist on commercial pilots retiring at 65 are “discriminatory and arbitrary”, according to the President of The European Regions Airline Association (ERA).
Speaking this week at the ERA General Assembly in Seville, Jesper Rungholm called for the lifting of such restrictions.
“Last year, I turned 65, and I’m no longer allowed to fly commercially, not even as a first officer. I have a rating, and I have my medical, but no. What a waste of experience and labour!” he told delegates.
To prove his point, the ERA President, who had come to the lectern dressed in a captain’s uniform, symbolically removed his jacket and epaulettes.
Jesper Rungholm addresses the ERA General Assembly
In Europe, the age limitations for commercial pilots are governed by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
Under EASA rules, the maximum age at which a pilot can act as a pilot of an aircraft engaged in commercial air transport is 65.
“The EU and EASA have enforced an age limit of 65, a policy I believe to be both discriminatory and arbitrary. This is recognised around the world as I believe there are nine countries with no such age limit,” said Rungholm.
While most countries adhere to the International Civil Aviation Organization standard of a maximum age of 65 for commercial airline pilots, several have no such limits.
In Australia and Brazil, for example, pilots can continue flying commercially as long as they meet medical and licensing requirements.
“The current age restriction is outdated, it’s unjust, and the EU and EASA need to provide transparent data to justify this policy rather than placing the burden on us to prove that it’s not [justified],” said Rungholm.
“We should remember that a brain surgeon, a cruise liner captain and a bus driver, to name but a few, are allowed to work into their 70s, provided that their performance remains completely unimpaired.
“Age alone should not be the determining factor. It’s the individual’s ability to perform safely and competently that matters. I believe now is the time for change.”
Photo: Rob Munro
