age limits in ATC

[bravosierra]

Hello guys!

Can you tell me how law looks like in different countries regarding the age limit for ATCOs? How long is it possible to work as an ATCO, especially as a tower controller?

Thanks in advance for any information!

Bravosierra

[2control]

In Sweden there is a general retirement age for controllers at 60. But, you don't have to leave. If you like to you can stay on. Not many do and I am not sure about how long you are allowed to keep on working. One guy kept on until 65 but he was mostly behind a desk.

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

Depends on the tower... at a small airfield with few movements you could probably work until retiring age. At a very busy place you may have to leave earlier. In the UK controllers are regularly assessed on their competence and failure could mean losing a validation much earlier than retirement age.

[Juggie1]

In South Africa as it stands at the moment the retirement age is 60.ATNS is in an fight with the union again to lower it to 55!!!:=This after it went to court to change it from 55 to 60.:D

[BaldEd]

In New Zealand there is no mandatory retirement age. The country has an age discrimination law that prevents that. If a controller continues to pass his annual medical and competency checks he can continue to hold his ATC licence. Most though retire before age 65 years - there have been only a few that have reached that milestone.

[Eric T Cartman]

Like N.Z. there is no "legal" retirement age for UK ATCO's. Similarly, as long as you can pass your Annual Medical & Competency Checks as required by SRG, you can control to beyond the national retirement age (65 for me) to any age which your employer agrees.

[pikman]

But some might argue you retired years ago Eric :p

[p_perez]

Hi!


in Spain the retirement age was 55 yrs. At 52 it was also possible with more than 30 yrs. at work, and minimum 15 yrs. operational.


I´m using tha past tense because things changed "a bit" last friday. You can read more at http://www.pprune.org/atc-issues/404624-end-panish-dream.html


Saludos!

[Knackers]

Australia has no mandatory retirement age; keep your health and pass your checks and you can keep working. I believe one chap recently retired from a tower at about 65, and I personally know others who have gone beyond 60.

The changes to our superannuation, government policy to "work 'til you drop" due to the ageing population, and the higher age of ab initio recruits (meaning less time to build up ones super) will require a lot of controllers in future to work past 60.

[Talkdownman]

The oldest radar controller at my unit was 77 yesterday.

[cleo]

Eric has a waaay to go then!
Some would contend that Eric got it the right way round. After all it makes sense to work the busy units when yer young and sharp, and not go from Sleepy Hollow to Paisley-on-the Marsh at your age Pikman :ok:

[samotnik]

In Poland ATC licence is valid up to 60, however you are eligible for retirement not before 65 (60 for women). There is no legal possibility to work as ATCo at 60 or later.

[callumj94]

Age to start training with NATS is 18 when you can get your assistants licence and 21 to get your full licence. The mandatory retirement age is 60 in UK.

[Eric T Cartman]

@callum
You say "The mandatory retirement age is 60 in UK."
Wrong ! See above posts :=

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

<<Age to start training with NATS is 18 when you can get your assistants licence and 21 to get your full licence. The mandatory retirement age is 60 in UK.>>

What is an "assistants licence" please? That's a new one on me....

[spekesoftly]

The mandatory retirement age is 60 in UK.

Oh heck! Having passed that age some considerable time ago, I hope they don't rumble me! ;)

[saintex2002]

Air traffic controllers face longer working life - The Irish Times - Thu, Mar 25, 2010 (http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0325/1224267012214.html)


Is around there an Irish ATCO to confirm this new retirement scheme ???...
Even with some more infos about...

[AngeleToR]

The new law that will subsitute the royal decree currently being applied to us, spanish ATC, is in its final round before final approval, and (amongs MANY other things) it changes the retirement age.

In about 15 days, when the said law gets finally approved, my mandatory retirement age will be 57, no matter if I'm in excellent shape to keep working 10 more years!!! Honestly speaking, my thought was to retire at 55 or little older and enjoy my last years travelling with my wife in our van (males in my family don't reach the 70's very often :() but now, at 57 the company WILL retire me from frecuency and they will offer me 'another job' and pay me according to it... Which job??? Related to ATM?? Related to aviation at least???

In spain (intentionally undercased) the goberment plans to raise the retirement age to 67 (if not older when I get there, in 30 loooong years...) so my last 10 work years may be spent stapling papers or bringing coffees, being paid accordingly, of course. My retirement income would be calculated according to my last years working, so it will get sustantially lower... Great business for the company and for the goverment, not so the worker... :{

Bye bye from spain-zuela (catch the joke?? :mad:)

[Denti]

As far as i know ATCOs in germany cannot work past 55 currently, however the state retirement age is 67 (well, in the process to be raised from 65 to 67 actually) so the ATCOs do get some further pay until they are eligible for a state pension. I'm just a pilot so i do not know the special rules applying to ATCOs, the above was just gathered from a couple friends who worked on the other side.

By the way, pilot retirement age is 65, we are eligible for retirement pay at 67 so we have to be officially out of work for 2 years of which the second pays only 367 euro per month or take our retirement pay with a discount of 14%. Nice laws here...

[saintex2002]

...So, no Irish ATCO or even someone else to confirm or not this above " Irish Time.com " info ???...

[thorisgod]

At the moment it's just a plan by management to fix the hole in the pension fund by making us work for longer. 40 - 50 year olds to work till 61, 30 - 40 till 63, under 30's till 65. Still subject to medicals and competency examinations of course.



Or something like that.......

Je voudrais travailler en France, mais........

[pablissimo]

I may stand to be corrected but there's a septugenarian working at EGAE....:ok:

[saintex2002]

Thorisgod, thank you for your answer...
Hope to see u around here in France with your European ATCO licence...

[Vector361]

In the US you are first eligible to retire with 25 years of "live" ATC at any age, OR, 20 years "live" ATC and at least 50 years old. Mandatory retirement from "live" ATC at 56. Very few "year-to-year" waivers granted beyond 56.

[Talkdownman]

That is AGEISM.

[ferris]

How have things gone in the last 7 years? Have states been removing limits, applying new ones?

[Nimmer]

I am very happy to retire (aged 50). Please PM me if you would like my job, I need the pay still, so we need to look at somebody working for me whilst I take the wages?