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Airline Biz Blog | dallasnews.com
American Airlines has nearly seven pilots over 60 for every one pilot under 40.
That's a little factoid included in the Allied Pilot Association's weekly News Digest that it sent to its members this week.
When I began covering American in 1990, it wasn't uncommon for a pilot in his or her early 30s to make captain with only five or six years of seniority.
That's certainly not the case now.
Here are the stats from the union:
• 94% of AA pilots are at 12th year of pay longevity. That's the top of the pay scale, meaning that they aren't getting pay raises unless they move to a bigger airplane or move from first officer to captain.
• Average age of AA pilots: 51.6 years
• Average age AA Captains: 54.4 years
• Average age AA First Officers: 49.3 years
• AA pilots under 40 years old: 83
• AA pilots over 60 years old: 560
• Years of service of most junior AA Captain: 18.8 years (date of hire: August 1992)
The mandatory retirement age for commercial pilots in the United States is 65. Until Dec. 13, 2007, it was set at age 60.
The younger pilots at American and other airlines that haven't been growing weren't happy about the extension of the retirement age since it delayed by five years their move to better-paying airplanes or to the captain's seat.
On the other hand, cutbacks in pay and years on furlough have prompted many older pilots to stick