Release #07.070
December 13, 2007

ALPA Urges President Bush to Sign Age 65 into Law

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Capt. John Prater, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), issued the following statement after the U.S. Senate unanimously approved a bill to raise the mandatory retirement age for airline pilots to 65. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the same language, H.R. 4343, on December 11.

“ALPA has worked very hard to ensure that its Executive Board’s recommendations, intended to protect the piloting profession in the face of a change that was certain to come, were included in any age-change legislation.

“I am pleased to report to our members that this legislation reflects the direction of ALPA leadership. ALPA has been working closely with both the Senate and the House to ensure that the legislation moves to the White House as rapidly as possible. We urge President Bush to sign the bill swiftly.”

Founded in 1931, ALPA is the world’s largest pilot union representing more than 60,000 pilots at 42 airlines in the U.S. and Canada.

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Contacts: Pete Janhunen, Linda Shotwell, Molly Martin, 703/481-4440 or media@alpa.org