Overview

• In a letter reported by Reuters, Senate Commerce Chair Ted Cruz asked President Trump to support a higher retirement age as a United Nations aviation assembly opens in Montreal this week.
• The ICAO agenda includes an International Air Transport Association proposal to raise the global pilot age limit to 67, whereas current rules bar pilots over 65 from international flights and are widely mirrored domestically.
• Canada, Australia, Brazil, Japan, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom support the change, while the United States has not taken a formal position.
• The Air Line Pilots Association opposes the move, citing increased health and cognitive risks, and notes Congress declined a similar change in 2024 after the FAA called for scientific and safety analysis.
• U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford are attending the assembly, and a 2022 bill previously proposed raising the age to 67 with six‑month medical screenings for pilots over 65.