Focus: US airline pilots fight their unions to increase retirement age
22/08/2023 11:00
By Rajesh Kumar Singh and Allison Lampert
Aug 22 (Reuters) - Bo Ellis has been a devoted member of
the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) for nearly four decades,
but the 64-year-old is waging a campaign against the union to
extend his flying career.
ALPA and other pilot unions oppose a bill in the U.S.
Congress that seeks to raise the retirement age for commercial
airline pilots to 67 from 65, arguing it will "introduce new
risk" into the aviation system as no safety agency has studied
its implications.
The measure, however, is estimated to provide 5,000 pilots
like Ellis the option to continue working over the next two
years, according to the Regional Airline Association (RAA).
Increasing the age limit by two years would also align pilot
retirement with the minimum federal retirement age, allowing
them to receive full social security benefits.
Ellis, a head pilot at a U.S. carrier, said senior pilots
are "by far much safer" due to experience, accusing ALPA of
"politicizing" safety.
"My own union is being discriminatory against me," he said.
PILOTS LOBBY LAWMAKERS
Ellis has co-founded a coalition of thousands of pilots at
carriers including Delta DAL.N , United UAL.O , American
AAL.O and Southwest Airlines LUV.N to lobby for the
legislation and has contacted over 200 lawmakers.
In a statement, ALPA said it "carefully" considered and its
elected representatives voted "unanimously" last October to
reaffirm its opposition to an "arbitrary change" in the
retirement age.
"America did not establish the aviation safety gold
standard by cutting corners when making significant changes to
our complex, global aviation system," ALPA said.
Rick Redfern, a Mesa Air MESA.O pilot who was present
at ALPA's October meeting, said the union's board merely
approved its strategic plan which contains its position on age.
But the specific question of increasing the retirement age to 67
was never brought to the floor for a vote. Two other pilots,
present at the meeting, confirmed Redfern's account.
Internal emails reviewed by Reuters and interviews with a
dozen pilots show members are divided over the age issue. Some
of the pilots asked not to have their employers identified due
to the risk of losing their jobs.
In previously unreported developments, a proposal by Mesa
pilots seeking a vote on the age limit is expected to be
discussed at ALPA's national executive council in September,
said Redfern.
ALPA needs to "get the pulse of the community," said
Redfern, an ALPA representative for MESA pilots.
Similarly, ALPA's unit at United Airlines is polling pilots
on the issue for the first time in 16 years.
"We are fully aware of the passion raised over the issue,"
ALPA said in an Aug. 3 memo to United pilots that was seen by
Reuters.
The measure, expected to be taken up by the U.S. Senate in
September after its approval in the House of Representatives
last month, can mitigate staffing gaps at carriers that have led
to a reduction in air service to more than 300 U.S. airports.
"It will provide some much-needed relief," said airline
stocks analyst Savanthi Syth of Raymond James.
JUNIOR VERSUS SENIOR PILOTS
All airline pilots are required to pass medical tests every
six months and those older than 40 must undergo ECG heart
screening annually. Additionally, all pilots have their skills
regularly evaluated in flight simulators to ensure proficiency.
Advocates of the measure said advancements in medical
science have led to a better understanding of pilot
incapacitation. They point to Canada, Japan and Australia,
countries with either higher or no age limit for pilots.
Also, pilots are allowed to fly corporate and charter jets
beyond the age of 65.
Take Dan Carr, a former Mesa captain who turned 66 this
month and flies business jets. If he was allowed to retire at
67, Carr said he would have never left Mesa.
"I feel like I'm at the pinnacle of my ability," he said.
Some older pilots want to work longer to benefit from salary
increases after enduring economic losses in the coronavirus
pandemic during 2020-2021 and various airline bankruptcies.
They accused union leaders of pandering to junior pilots,
who outnumber senior aviators and fear a higher retirement age
would hurt their career progression.
"This is a coup by junior pilots against senior pilots,"
said Allen Baker, who retired as a United Airlines pilot in
June.
ALPA said its stand on age is the result of a "democratic
process" and reflects "the will" of its members.
Baker, 65, shared an email with Reuters which he wrote to
ALPA leadership at United weeks before his retirement,
complaining about a "slander campaign" by junior pilots against
senior members like him.
Dennis Tajer, a spokesman for American Airlines pilots
union, said pilots seeking higher retirement age want to keep
earning longer.
DIVIDED AIRLINES
ALPA said changes to aviation policy should not be done "in
the backrooms of Congress or at the behest of moneyed special
interests." It has warned the move could cause airline
scheduling and pilot training issues, and require reopening
pilot contracts as current international rules would still
prevent pilots older than 65 from flying internationally.
In an interview, ALPA head Jason Ambrosi said the measure
would drive up airline costs and ticket prices for customers.
He, however, did not provide any specific data to back his
argument.
Like pilots, airlines are also split. Frontier Airlines
ULCC.O CEO Barry Biffle said pilots should be allowed to fly
as long as they clear their medical tests, joining the global
airline trade group, International Air Transport Association and
the RAA, in supporting the legislation.
But United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby has said lifting the
retirement age would not solve the pilot shortage. Last year, he
said 36% of the company's pilots aged 64 were out on sick,
long-term, or short-term medical leave.
Mesa's CEO Jonathan Ornstein said he would love to have
pilots like former Mesa employee Carr fly longer. The airline's
operations are suffering as it has lost 37% of its captains due
to retirement and attrition since early 2022.
"If the regulations permitted, I'd take them all back," he
said.
(Reporting by Rajesh Kumar Singh in Chicago and Allison Lampert
in Montreal; editing by Ben Klayman and Grant McCool)
((rajeshkumar.singh@thomsonreuters.com; +1-313-484-5370;
Reuters Messaging:
rajeshkumar.singh.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))