KnightFlyer

FAA Announces Aviation Rulemaking Committee on Age 60; Capt. Woerth to Serve as Co-Chairman

September 27, 2006 -- Today, the FAA announced that it will form an Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) to examine its Age 60 Rule. Despite its name, this ARC is strictly an advisory body. The tasking asks the ARC to recommend whether the FAA should adopt the ICAO standard that allows airline pilots to fly to age 65. Secondly, the ARC is tasked to make recommendations for implementing any resulting rule change. The FAA will decide what, if any, changes to the regulations will be made. ALPA President Duane Woerth, along with President James May of the Air Transport Association, will co-chair the committee.

The FAA action is a response to an amendment by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) that will be implemented in November 2006, to increase the "upper age limit" for airline pilots to age 65. The new ICAO standard also specifies that only one pilot in any crew may be over age 60. While the ICAO standard is non-binding and individual countries set their own regulations regarding the operational age limit, there is a real possibility of Congressional action this year to direct the FAA to quickly adopt the ICAO standard, which is the driving reason behind the establishment of the ARC.

In addition to Woerth, four other likely representatives will serve on the committee. The ARC will form two separate working groups. The first working group will deal with whether or not the FAA should adopt the ICAO standard. If the ARC is unable to reach consensus on this matter, it will document the respective majority and minority opinions, along with their supporting rationale.

The second working group will deliberate about what actions would be necessary if the FAA were to change the regulation to meet the new ICAO standard. The ARC has 60 days to gather information and issue a report, along with any recommendations, to the agency. The FAA will then determine what, if any, actions it will take.

"Every ALPA member must understand that all this is not occurring in a vacuum," said Woerth. "The Senate Transportation Appropriations bill currently contains language that would require the FAA to adopt the new ICAO standard. In accordance with our policy, ALPA will continue to oppose this language. However, we must also understand that if the Transportation Appropriations bill is lumped into an omnibus spending package, procedural rules would prohibit the offering of any amendment to this bill, thus opening a backdoor path to changing the FAA's Age 60 Rule.

"We must remember that the Age 60 rule is a safety regulation," Woerth said. "It is inappropriate for Congress to dictate safety standards to the FAA. That is why, even as we continue our full-court press to block any legislative attempt to raise the upper age limit, in accordance with Board of Directors policy, we also must take whatever steps we can to position ourselves to protect pilots' interests if Congress or the FAA changes the Age 60 rule. The ALPA representatives on the ARC will help ensure that whatever the outcome, the interests of pilots will be protected to the maximum extent possible, and that the highest level of safety will be maintained."

FXDX

Wow, how come I don't get that all warm and fuzzy feeling that ole Duane is going to really go to bat for the majority of the union members?

What a mealy mouthed response.

I for one would love to see him voted off the island.

With friends like him, who needs enemies?

OV1D

DITO! It appears that the objective climate of this committee is already compromised with ALPA President Duane Woerth as the co-chair of this ARC committee.

Woerth should recuse himself from this committee after he made those biasd statements.