Do Flight Attendants Have Mandatory Retirement Ages Like Pilots?

When it comes to hiring candidates for most positions in the aviation industry, such as pilots and flight attendants, the fact that candidates have reached a certain age is still an important factor. Depending on the airline and country, the minimum age requirement typically falls between 18 to 21 years old.

When it comes to maximum age, pilots have strict regulations concerning their mandated retirement age, which is generally 65 (or 60 for single-pilot operations). With this in mind, what does the picture look like for flight attendants? After all, while younger cabin crew members are usually those seen on today’s planes, there are still plenty of older cabin crew members across several airlines.

What is the maximum hiring age for flight attendants?

Before looking at retirement, some people might wonder if there’s a maximum age requirement for hiring flight attendants. Since there is no internationally mandated standard for countries, this very much varies between airlines, and some carriers are okay with hiring older candidates for their many years of experience.

Some airlines, typically found in Europe and the US, are even content with hiring older candidates who have little to no experience, as long as they are in great health and can go through training. However, most airlines avoid hiring more senior candidates as their unofficial policy, even those with many years of experience.

These would generally be the Asian and Middle Eastern carriers that usually seek candidates under the age of 30 and 35, respectively. The difference in preference compared to American and European counterparts is because they prefer to keep a ‘younger’ outlook for their cabin crew and their retirement policies.

Is there a regulated retirement age for flight attendants?

In terms of mandated retirement ages for cabin crew, these policies vary from airline to airline. In keeping with their desire for a youthful appearance, most Asian and Middle Eastern carriers have a mandatory retirement age between 40 and 50, even if flight attendants are still in good health and can pass the safety tests.

Photo: Erman Gunes | Shutterstock

Elsewhere in the world, a small handful of European airlines, such as Air France, have an official retirement age of 65 years old for their flight attendants, similar to that for pilots. While these are individual airline guidelines, there’s still no internationally mandated retirement age for flight attendants, and no country has set any law that imposes a maximum age limit for flight attendants.

With no upper age limit, several flight attendants (again primarily from American and European carriers) put in many decades of respectable service. Notable examples include the current oldest flight attendant record belonging to Robert Reardon, who retired from Delta Air Lines in 2014 at 90. Following closely behind is Bette Nash, who was still actively working for American Airlines at 86 as of last year.

The bottom line

The question of when cabin crew are expected to retire does not have a straightforward answer, as it all depends on the airline. If no internal policies are involved, and health and contract conditions are acceptable, you could say that you are never too old to start being a flight attendant! Equally, until health and policies get in the way, you could say that you’re never too old to continue being one, either.

Photo: FernandoV | Shutterstock

One role in the aviation industry that has a markedly different approach is that of air traffic controllers, who face even more stringent regulations than pilots. As Simple Flying explored last year, the stressful and safety-critical nature of this job means that many countries set the limit as low as the mid-50s for retirement.

Do you believe there needs to be a mandated retirement age for flight attendants? Perhaps you think the minimum age needs altering too? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

Sources: ABC News, Aircraft Interiors International, Twin Cities Pioneer Press