Retired pilots will get a second chance

FORT WORTH, Texas, Feb. 7 (UPI) -- Retired commercial pilots under 65 will be returning to the air but at reduced salaries and with no seniority, a Texas newspaper reported Thursday.

Taking advantage a new federal law that raised the mandatory retirement age of pilots from 60 to 65, some pilots are eager to return to work, even if they have to start at the bottom again, the fort Worth (Texas) Star-Telegram reported.

Due to cuts in pension plans "many of these pilots are living on just 25 to 30 percent of what they thought they were going to have," said Kit Darby, president of Air Inc., a consulting firm.

The laws mandate that retired pilots returning to work have their seniority erased and be trained like a new recruit. Along with the reduced pay, they won't be able to choose the routes they fly or handle larger aircraft.

"That could be frustrating for some pilots who were at the peak of their careers, flying as captains on the biggest airplanes and earning the biggest paychecks," Darby said.

But, a shortage of pilots has some airlines scrambling for qualified fliers. Delta Air Lines, Southwest and Eos Airlines have begun interviewing retired pilots, the report said.