Is the demand there for old boys like me to take the seat that could be given to a 20 year old straight out of CTC?
It really depends on the airline. Some rightly value mature adults with life experience and a broad range of backgrounds in the airline, some see them as a training risk, not a blank sheet of paper and with too much baggage. Some have an unofficial policy of not hiring anyone over the age of thirty. Do your research to find the viable targets.