I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 5523 
To amend title 49, United States Code, to raise the retirement age for 
pilots engaged in commercial aviation operations, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 19, 2025 
Mr. NEHLS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Transportation and Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To amend title 49, United States Code, to raise the retire-
ment age for pilots engaged in commercial aviation oper-
ations, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Let Experienced Pilots 
Fly Act of 2025’’. 
SEC. 2. INCREASED RETIREMENT AGE FOR PILOTS. 
Section 44729 of title 49, United States Code, as 
amended by section 107 of division Q of the Consolidated 
Appropriations Act, 2023 (Public Law 117–328), is fur-
ther amended to read as follows: 
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‘‘§ 44729. Age standards for pilots 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—A pilot may serve in multicrew 
covered operations until 67 years of age. 
‘‘(b) COVERED OPERATIONS DEFINED.—In this sec-
tion, the term ‘covered operations’ means operations under 
part 121 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, unless 
the operation takes place in— 
‘‘(1) the territorial airspace of a foreign country 
where such operations are prohibited by the foreign 
country; or 
‘‘(2) international airspace where such oper-
ations are not in compliance with the Annexes to the 
Convention on International Civil Aviation. 
‘‘(c) REGULATIONS.—On and after the date of enact-
ment of the Let Experienced Pilots Fly Act of 2025, sub-
sections (d) and (e) of section 121.383 of title 14, Code 
of Federal Regulations, shall be deemed to have been 
amended to increase the age listed in such subsections to 
67 years of age. 
‘‘(d) APPLICABILITY.— 
‘‘(1) RETROACTIVITY.—A pilot who is over 65 
years of age on the date of enactment of this bill 
may return to service in multicrew covered oper-
ations until 67 years of age. 
‘‘(2) PROTECTION FOR COMPLIANCE.—An ac-
tion taken in conformance with this section, taken in 
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conformance with a regulation issued to carry out 
this section, or taken prior to the date of enactment 
of the Let Experienced Pilots Fly Act of 2025 in 
conformance with subsection (d) or (e) of section 
121.383 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (as 
in effect before such date), may not serve as a basis 
for liability or relief in a proceeding, brought under 
any employment law or regulation, before any court 
or agency of the United States or of any State or 
locality. 
‘‘(e) AMENDMENTS TO LABOR AGREEMENTS AND 
BENEFIT PLANS.—Any amendment to a labor agreement 
or benefit plan of an air carrier that is required to conform 
with the requirements of this section or a regulation issued 
to carry out this section, and is applicable to pilots rep-
resented for collective bargaining, shall be made by agree-
ment of the air carrier and the designated bargaining rep-
resentative of the pilots of the air carrier. 
‘‘(f) MEDICAL STANDARDS AND RECORDS.— 
‘‘(1) MEDICAL
EXAMINATIONS
AND
STAND-
ARDS.—Except as provided by paragraph (2), a per-
son serving as a pilot for an air carrier engaged in 
covered operations shall not be subject to different 
medical standards, or different, greater, or more fre-
quent medical examinations, on account of age un-
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less the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Ad-
ministration determines (based on data received or 
studies published after the date of enactment of the 
Let Experienced Pilots Fly Act of 2025) that dif-
ferent medical standards, or different, greater, or 
more frequent medical examinations, are needed to 
ensure an adequate level of safety in flight. 
‘‘(2) DURATION OF FIRST-CLASS MEDICAL CER-
TIFICATE.—No person who has attained 60 years of 
age may serve as a pilot of an air carrier engaged 
in covered operations unless the person has a first- 
class medical certificate. Such a certificate shall ex-
pire on the last day of the 6-month period following 
the date of examination shown on the certificate. 
‘‘(g) SAFETY TRAINING.—Each air carrier engaged 
in covered operations shall continue to use pilot training 
and qualification programs approved by the Federal Avia-
tion Administration. 
‘‘(h) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the 
Federal Aviation Administration shall submit to the ap-
propriate congressional committees a report on further in-
creasing the age limitation described in subsection (a).’’. 
Æ 
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