RESTRICTIONS FOR COMMERCIAL PILOTS

That this House notes that current licensing arrangements for commercial pilots require them to retire from flying single pilot aircraft, and captaining dual pilot aircraft, at age 60; further notes that such pilots are already subject to six-monthly medical checks from the age of 40; welcomes the fact that the Civil Aviation Authority is chairing the European Aviation Safety Agency safety working party examining this issue and is participating in the parallel International Civil Aviation Organisation study; further notes that the incidence of disabling heart and other conditions is dependent on many factors other than age; and believes that a move towards individual targeted risk assessments for such pilots, to replace a discriminatory cut off age at 60, is overdue.