Officials weigh mandatory retirement age for public safety officials

A senior lawmaker called for a review Tuesday of the nation's mandatory retirement age for pilots, air traffic controllers and other public safety officials.

Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, said many crucial personnel might be able to perform their jobs well past the current cutoff age.

"Those of us who study this issue know there has been a dynamic increase in longevity and a trend toward healthy aging over the past half-century. Americans are living longer and are healthier than ever before," Craig said during a committee hearing Tuesday. "It is reported that nearly half of the nation's air traffic controllers will reach the mandatory retirement age of 56 in the next decade. In order to prepare for the future, it is important that lawmakers understand the impact of changing demographics on our workforce."

Several federal occupations are subject to mandatory retirement ages, including air traffic controllers and some law enforcement officers. Federal Aviation Administration rules also mandate that pilots of large commercial aircraft retire by the time they turn 60.

The Office of Personnel Management acknowledged that setting the mandatory retirement age too low could cause workforce problems, but OPM officials called for caution before altering retirement regulations.

"Before imposing, amending or removing a mandatory retirement provision, an organization must first determine if such a change serves its interest," said Abby Block, OPM's deputy associate director for employee and family support policy. "In general, the special retirement provisions under the federal systems for groups such as law enforcement officers, firefighters and air traffic controllers are intended to permit the government to maintain a younger workforce in these occupations."

Block said that any move to alter mandatory retirement ages should come only after a careful and exhaustive study.

"There is no simple rule of thumb that can be applied across the board in determining if a mandatory retirement provision should be imposed," Block said. "However, we believe that establishing an effective process for making these determinations is achievable and a necessary first step."

Industry officials at the hearing were divided over the issue.

Joseph Eichelkraut, president of the Southwest Airlines Pilots' Association, said his organization was against the "age 60" retirement rule. He was backed by the Aerospace Medical Association, which found that there is "insufficient medical evidence to suggest restriction of pilot certification based on age alone."

The National Air Traffic Controllers Association, however, opposed any change to the retirement age. Eugene Freedman, policy counsel for the association, said studies show controllers hit their peak performance in their late 30s, and then begin to decline.

"While experience is beneficial in air traffic control, controllers over 50 exhibited performance levels lower than younger controllers with significantly less job experience," according to Freedman's testimony. "Now is not the time to extend the retirement age. The safety of our flying public and the integrity of our entire system will depend on a new generation of capable controllers, not the ability to hold onto the ones we already have."