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NetJets Pilots Can Fly Until Age 70 Under Proposed FAA Reauthorization Bill

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The FAA reauthorization bill currently under consideration by Congress would have a mandatory retirement age of 70 for NetJets pilots.

The mandatory age 70 retirement age for certain Part 135 and Part 91K pilots would apply only to companies that perform at least 150,000 turbojet operations in a calendar year. The only company that currently has that level of turbojet operations is NetJets.

The AARP has come out in opposition to any age limits as arbitrary.

“AARP has long opposed mandatory retirement; using an arbitrary age as a proxy for competence is wrong in any occupation, and it is wrong for pilots,” AARP stated in a letter to House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee chairman Bill Shuster and ranking member Pete DeFazio.

“Pilots should be judged on the basis of their individual ability, flying skills, and their health, not on stereotypes or mistaken assumptions about their fitness based on age,” notes the nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, which has nearly 38 million members.

However, NetJets has come out in support of the age 70 retirement age.

“The lack of a pilot age restriction for large private air carriers is a growing concern in aviation safety,” NetJets said in a statement. “NetJets supports an amendment to the FAA Reauthorization bill that would impose an age restriction for pilots of large, private air carriers that is similar to the restriction that currently exists for commercial airlines. Such a restriction is an important safety measure for private carriers whose flight operations are comparable in size and complexity to their commercial counterparts. We hold passenger safety as our highest priority and we look forward to working with Congress on this common-sense regulation that will make air travel safer for everyone.”

© 2018 David Mazor

Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell the stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.