H.R. 5523 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the House, sent to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Sep 19, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryRaises mandatory pilot retirement age to 67
This bill raises the age when commercial airline pilots must retire from 65 to 67. Pilots who are already over 65 when the bill passes would be allowed to keep flying until they reach 67. The bill also requires the Federal Aviation Administration to study whether the retirement age could be increased even further.
How it affects you
If you fly commercially, you may encounter older pilots in the cockpit, since airlines will be able to keep experienced pilots on the job longer. Pilots currently over 65 who want to continue flying would get a few extra years to do so. For most other people, there's no direct change in daily life.
Read the official summary (Introduced in House, Sep 19, 2025)
Let Experienced Pilots Fly Act of 2025
This bill raises the mandatory retirement age for pilots engaged in commercial aviation operations from 65 to 67 years of age. This age standard does not apply to commercial operations that take place in (1) the territorial airspace of a foreign country that prohibits such operations, or (2) international airspace where such operations are not in compliance with the Annexes to the Convention on International Civil Aviation.
The bill specifies that a pilot who is over 65 years of age on the date of the bill's enactment may return to service in commercial aviation operations until 67 years of age.
The Federal Aviation Administration must also submit a report to Congress on further increasing the age limitation for pilots engaged in commercial aviation operations.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionH. R. 5523
A BILL
Let Experienced Pilots Fly Act of 2025
Sponsor: Rep. Troy E. Nehls (R-TX-22) · Introduced Sep 19, 2025 · Transportation and Public Works · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Sep 20, 2025: “Referred to the Subcommittee on Aviation.”