Pilot shortage addressed by legislation

Senator Lindsey Graham and five of his Republican colleagues have a plan to address airline flight cancellations caused by the pilot shortage.  The senators are behind a bill titled, “Let Experienced Pilots Fly”.  Among other provisions:  raises the mandatory commercial pilot retirement age from 65 to 67; requires that pilots over 65 maintain a first-class medical certification, which must be renewed every six months.  A statement from Graham’s Washington office reads:  “With baby boomers making up half of the airline pilot population, roughly 5,000 fully qualified pilots will be forced to retire within the next two years and the problem will grow even more acute in the following years.”