Letter from AARP Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Bill Sweeney to Senators Lindsey Graham and Mark Kelly, June 29, 2026.
AARP, which advocates for 125 million Americans age 50 and older, endorses the Let Experienced Pilots Fly Act, which raises the forced retirement age for commercial airline pilots from 65 to 67. AARP has long opposed mandatory retirement ages, as age should not serve as a proxy for competence. Age discrimination is wrong, no matter what the profession.
Pilots are already subject to rigorous ongoing evaluations of their ability, flying skills and health, including:
- an in-depth medical examination every 6 months;
- an EKG administered by an FAA-approved Aviation Medical Examiner every 12 months;
- recurrent ground school and simulator training every 9 months, including a proficiency check ride; and
- rigorous training and qualification programs approved by the FAA.
While our country is facing a pilot shortage, we are forcing healthy, highly skilled pilots out of the cockpit simply because of their age. This is not about safety: a pilot deemed too old to fly a Part 121 commercial flight one day can legally fly passengers on a Part 135 charter the next. Many U.S. aviation peers — including Canada, Australia, and Japan — allow commercial pilots to fly past 65 without any documented increase in safety incidents. Pilots should be judged on their merits, not simply their age.
We encourage Congress to pass the Let Experienced Pilots Fly Act, to help correct this outdated policy, and we look forward to working with you to see this signed into law.
— Bill Sweeney, Senior Vice President, Government Affairs, AARP