Pilots ready to strike: Have to work till 66, but stop passenger flights at 65

Under Belgian law, pilots must work until the age of 66, whilst European regulations prohibit them from operating scheduled flights after the age of 65 due to health risks.

“That combination is downright absurd: pilots are obliged to work, but at the same time are obliged to stop their core activity at 65. The legislation is clearly flawed here,” the unions say in a joint statement.

Industrial action covered thanks to notification

Following today’s notification, industrial action is covered from next Monday. The unions say they wish to avoid taking action but point out that dissatisfaction with the pension issue is ‘particularly high’. ‘Without a swift and clear intervention, this situation risks escalating,’ they warn.

Pensions Minister Jan Jambon previously pointed out that only in a small number of cases will pilots have to work beyond the age of 65. Most meet the 42-year career requirement and can retire earlier, he argues.

For those who do have to continue working after the age of 65, changes could be introduced: for instance, they could put their experience to good use in a different way, such as working as an instructor. ‘But that line of reasoning simply shifts the responsibility entirely elsewhere and fails to recognise the reality on the shop floor,’ say the trade unions. They point out that a pilot was recently dismissed on his 65th birthday on grounds of ‘force majeure’.

‘Given that this situation is fundamentally untenable, we feel compelled to issue strike notification for the Belgian aviation industry. We are not acting lightly but are doing so to give the person responsible for this chaos – the Pensions Minister – one last chance to come up with structural and fair solutions,’ they state.

‘Possible increase to 67’

In response the office of Pensions Minister Jan Jambon says a selective reduction in the statutory retirement age is not on the agenda. The office understands the concerns but calls for the full picture to be considered and for the debate to be conducted at the appropriate level.

Minister Jambon explains that this is a specific issue controlled by the European authorities. Currently, commercial pilots lose their licence to fly passenger flights at the age of 65, but at the same time, an increasing number of experts are arguing that this limit should no longer be strictly linked to age but should instead be based on objective medical and cognitive parameters. The minister believes that modern screening and continuous assessment now provide a much more accurate picture of flight safety than an arbitrary age limit.

“That is why I will examine how and to what extent the federal government can provide support to conduct this debate within the European Union, with a view to a possible increase to 67 years of age. Because it is important to emphasise that this is a European power,” says Jambon.

'Nuance' needed, says minister

At the same time, the minister calls for ‘nuance’. The rule applies only to pilots doing passenger flights. Pilots can still remain active, for example, on cargo flights or in training roles, he argues.

Furthermore, Jambon is keen to point out the increase in the statutory retirement age was already decided by a previous Belgian government and is not a consequence of the current pension reforms. Finally, many pilots will already be eligible for early retirement at 65, Jambon added.