The Telegraph burde ha spurt BALPA om hva de mener om dette. (Red.)
The British pilots pushing for the right to fly after turning 65
British pilots are forced to retire on their 65th birthday, but a growing number are lobbying for this to change
In February 2026, Brian Smith will celebrate his 65th birthday. But the celebrations will be bittersweet, for as he reaches this milestone he will be forced to retire from his job.
Once upon a time, British pilots were forced to hang up their hats at the age of 60, but in 1994 the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) raised the retirement age to 65. Thirty years on, Smith says this should be reviewed once again.
“I think you could push the retirement age up to 68 right now, which would release a huge amount of the talent pool to do another few years and to pass on their experience,” says Smith, who currently flies for a British cargo airline and has previously flown with Ryanair, Emirates and Air2000 (later, First Choice).
Smith points out that there is a major incentive for raising the retirement age: a UK-wide pilot shortage.
“Since Brexit it’s no longer easy to employ pilots who are non-nationals on British-registered aircraft. It does happen, but there are a lot of hoops you have to jump through, which didn’t used to be the case,” says Smith, who adds that the pilot shortage has also been exacerbated by the Boeing strike and delays in delivering its new aircraft.
“There’s a case to alleviate the pilot shortage and to make use of skills that are otherwise cast adrift, and to retain experience which is good for younger pilots,” he says.
Former Ryanair pilot Brian Smith believes the retirement age should be raised to 68
Smith isn’t alone in making this call. He showed The Telegraph a Facebook post from a friend, also a pilot, with the caption: “Bye bye, my queen. Yesterday I could, today I’m too old to fly commercially. When will we start reviewing ridiculous regulations?” The post received 291 likes and 50 comments from people sympathising with his situation.
One of the biggest concerns about allowing pilots to fly into their late sixties is that people, and particularly men, are more likely to suffer sudden incapacitation such as a stroke or heart attack at this age.
One study, using data supplied by the FAA, shows that the risk of a sudden heart attack leading to in-flight incapacitation events rises significantly after the age of 60. However, of the 43 pilots in the sample, only 9 (21 per cent) held an FAA Class I or Class II medical certificate. Meaning many were hobbyists, rather than commercial pilots who are subject to frequent medicals.
A study of commercial pilots, published by the EU’s Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), points out that in-flight incapacitation is very rare (around 0.45 times per 1,000,000 flight hours) but they did find “moderate evidence” that the risk of incapacitation increases with age.
“Although cardiovascular conditions are considered as the principal risk factor for total incapacitation, syncope, late-onset seizures, and acute psychosis are also possible age-dependent causes of sudden incapacitation,” the report found.
With this in mind, will passengers be nervous knowing that their pilot might be pushing 70? Smith accepts that this is a consideration. “I can see where they’re coming from. But there are men younger than 60 who suddenly collapse as well. I’m not sure in terms of statistical probability there should be too big a worry about that,” he argues, adding that the medical checks are rigorous, particularly for older pilots.
“When you get to 60 you have to have a medical twice a year, not just once a year. But you’d be surprised how many things you could have and still fly. You have people flying with hearing aids, people flying who have had heart attacks and bypass surgery. So long as you can pass a medical after corrective surgery, you can still fly.”
Smith says his eyesight started deteriorating 12 years ago meaning he now wears reading glasses, and his hearing isn’t what it used to be. But he says these factors don’t affect his performance as a pilot or his ability to pass the required medical tests.
“The young guys are definitely sharper. They are on the ball, but they do lack the experience, so quite often their decision making can be a bit funny. They are prone to being guided entirely by process, and that’s what the airlines want.
“What they make up for in being quick-witted and having good eyesight, [younger pilots] just don’t have the depth of experience. It’s nice to have a balance in the cockpit, and it just seems a shame to waste somebody just because they get to 65,” says Smith.
The Civil Aviation Authority said: “This is an important issue for the pilot community. That is why we are working to test the challenges and opportunities of changing age restrictions.
“We are signed up to internationally agreed standards on age limits and are working with other international regulators to make sure the current rules are fit for purpose and recognise recent advances in science and medicine.”
The age limits on pilots are ultimately set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which is currently reviewing its age limits using evidence published in the aforementioned EASA study into the performance of older pilots.
For now, Smith’s hands are tied, and his days as a pilot are numbered. After his 65th birthday, he and his wife plan to spend a portion of their time in the south of Spain. He also has a training qualification, meaning he can work as a contractor to train up pilots on Boeing planes. But the work pays considerably less than his pilot’s salary: around £400 for four hours’ work, whereas captains at major airlines can expect to earn in excess of £100,000 per year.
Above all else, it is the principle that rankles Smith: “On the discrimination side of things, it’s just not fair. There aren’t many other jobs that will make you retire at 65.”
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