September 19th - Should the retirement age for pilots be raised from 65 to 67?
Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast
The Independent
3.6 • 628 Ratings
🗓️ 19 September 2025
⏱️ 6 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
That's the recommendation of the International Air Transport Association (Iata). Opponents say the airlines see raising the age limit as an attempt to deal with a temporary shortage of pilots. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency says the risk of a serious health incident on the flight desk increases with age, and that skills decline with the years.
But Willie Walsh, a former pilot himself and now director general of Iata, believes the age limit can safely be raised.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This episode is sponsored by Visit Costa Rica, your ultimate destination for nature, adventure and transformation. |
| 0:07.1 | Imagine trading a damp, chilly UK morning for warm sunshine breaking through a rainforest canopy. |
| 0:12.8 | Costa Rica holds 6.5% of the world's biodiversity, from scarlet macaws and sloths to humpback whales. |
| 0:20.3 | This extraordinary concentration of life includes lush rainforests, cloud forests, |
| 0:25.1 | mangroves, coral reefs and volcanic ecosystems. |
| 0:28.7 | Over a quarter of the country is protected through national parks and reserves. |
| 0:32.3 | So every walk feels like stepping into a wildlife documentary. |
| 0:35.7 | It's a place where you disconnect from the noise of everyday life |
| 0:38.5 | and reconnect with what truly matters. |
| 0:41.2 | Nature and community. |
| 0:43.2 | At the heart of it all is pure Aveda, |
| 0:45.4 | literally pure life. |
| 0:47.1 | Whether you're hiking a volcano, |
| 0:49.1 | soaking in hot springs, |
| 0:50.8 | or watching sea turtles nest under the stars. |
| 0:53.7 | Costa Rica isn't just a place you visit. |
| 0:55.9 | It's a place you feel. |
| 0:57.1 | Visit Costa Rica.com. |
| 0:58.7 | This is Pura Vida. |
| 1:00.0 | Hello and welcome to today's independent travel podcast with me, Simon Calder. |
| 1:05.0 | It's Friday the 19th of September. |
| 1:07.4 | If you were kind enough to listen yesterday, you will have heard a discussion about how |
... |
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