Fair Treatment for Experienced Pilots Act
PL 110-135 (H.R.4343), enacted 12/13/2007

121 STAT. 1450 
PUBLIC LAW 110–135—DEC. 13, 2007 
Public Law 110–135 
110th Congress 
An Act 
To amend title 49, United States Code, to modify age standards for pilots engaged 
in commercial aviation operations. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Fair Treatment for Experienced 
Pilots Act’’. 
SEC. 2. AGE STANDARDS FOR PILOTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 447 of title 49, United States Code, 
is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘§ 44729. Age standards for pilots 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to the limitation in subsection (c), 
a pilot may serve in multicrew covered operations until attaining 
65 years of age. 
‘‘(b) COVERED OPERATIONS DEFINED.—In this section, the term 
‘covered operations’ means operations under part 121 of title 14, 
Code of Federal Regulations. 
‘‘(c) LIMITATION FOR INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS.— 
‘‘(1) APPLICABILITY OF ICAO STANDARD.—A pilot who has 
attained 60 years of age may serve as pilot-in-command in 
covered operations between the United States and another 
country only if there is another pilot in the flight deck crew 
who has not yet attained 60 years of age. 
‘‘(2) SUNSET OF LIMITATION.—Paragraph (1) shall cease to 
be effective on such date as the Convention on International 
Civil Aviation provides that a pilot who has attained 60 years 
of age may serve as pilot-in-command in international commer-
cial operations without regard to whether there is another 
pilot in the flight deck crew who has not attained age 60. 
‘‘(d) SUNSET OF AGE 60 RETIREMENT RULE.—On and after the 
date of enactment of this section, section 121.383(c) of title 14, 
Code of Federal Regulations, shall cease to be effective. 
‘‘(e) APPLICABILITY.— 
‘‘(1) NONRETROACTIVITY.—No person who has attained 60 
years of age before the date of enactment of this section may 
serve as a pilot for an air carrier engaged in covered operations 
unless— 
‘‘(A) such person is in the employment of that air 
carrier in such operations on such date of enactment as 
a required flight deck crew member; or 
49 USC 40101 
note. 
Fair Treatment 
for Experienced 
Pilots Act. 
Dec. 13, 2007 
[H.R. 4343] 
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121 STAT. 1451 
PUBLIC LAW 110–135—DEC. 13, 2007 
‘‘(B) such person is newly hired by an air carrier as 
a pilot on or after such date of enactment without credit 
for prior seniority or prior longevity for benefits or other 
terms related to length of service prior to the date of 
rehire under any labor agreement or employment policies 
of the air carrier. 
‘‘(2) PROTECTION
FOR
COMPLIANCE.—An action taken in 
conformance with this section, taken in conformance with a 
regulation issued to carry out this section, or taken prior to 
the date of enactment of this section in conformance with 
section 121.383(c) of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (as 
in effect before such date of enactment), 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. 
‘‘(f) 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 represented for collective bargaining, 
shall be made by agreement of the air carrier and the designated 
bargaining representative of the pilots of the air carrier. 
‘‘(g) MEDICAL STANDARDS AND RECORDS.— 
‘‘(1) MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS AND STANDARDS.—Except as 
provided by paragraph (2), a person 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 
frequent medical examinations, on account of age unless the 
Secretary determines (based on data received or studies pub-
lished after the date of enactment of this section) that different 
medical standards, or different, greater, or more frequent med-
ical examinations, are needed to ensure an adequate level of 
safety in flight. 
‘‘(2) DURATION OF FIRST-CLASS MEDICAL CERTIFICATE.—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 expire on the last day of the 6-month period following 
the date of examination shown on the certificate. 
‘‘(h) SAFETY.— 
‘‘(1) TRAINING.—Each air carrier engaged in covered oper-
ations shall continue to use pilot training and qualification 
programs approved by the Federal Aviation Administration, 
with specific emphasis on initial and recurrent training and 
qualification of pilots who have attained 60 years of age, to 
ensure continued acceptable levels of pilot skill and judgment. 
‘‘(2) LINE EVALUATIONS.—Not later than 6 months after 
the date of enactment of this section, and every 6 months 
thereafter, an air carrier engaged in covered operations shall 
evaluate the performance of each pilot of the air carrier who 
has attained 60 years of age through a line check of such 
pilot. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, an air carrier 
shall not be required to conduct for a 6-month period a line 
check under this paragraph of a pilot serving as second-in- 
command if the pilot has undergone a regularly scheduled 
simulator evaluation during that period. 
Deadlines. 
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121 STAT. 1452 
PUBLIC LAW 110–135—DEC. 13, 2007 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 4343: 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 153 (2007): 
Dec. 11, considered and passed House. 
Dec. 12, considered and passed Senate. 
‘‘(3) GAO REPORT.—Not later than 24 months after the 
date of enactment of this section, the Comptroller General 
shall submit to the Committee on Transportation and Infra-
structure of the House of Representatives and the Committee 
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a 
report concerning the effect, if any, on aviation safety of the 
modification to pilot age standards made by subsection (a).’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The analysis for chapter 447 of 
title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘44729. Age standards for pilots.’’. 
Approved December 13, 2007. 
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