Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) President Jason Ambrosi voiced opposition to President Donald Trump’s recent nominee for U.S. ambassador to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), citing concerns over the nominee’s stance on pilot retirement age.
During an interview at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, Ambrosi said the nominee, Jeffrey Anderson — a former Delta pilot — is primarily associated with a political effort to raise the airline pilot retirement age from 65 to 67, a move ALPA continues to oppose.
“Jeff is being put up for that position by Congressman [Troy] Nehls, who is a very significant proponent for raising the retirement age,” Ambrosi said. “That is Jeff’s issue.”
Ambrosi emphasized that the matter had already been resolved during the most recent FAA Reauthorization process and reaffirmed by the current administration.
“This administration, Secretary Duffy, have said that that is settled as far as they’re concerned,” Ambrosi said. “But they’re trying to reopen this debate.”
ALPA has previously stated that any change to the retirement age should be based on comprehensive data and international coordination. The union argues that altering the age without such steps would disrupt international operations, especially for widebody pilots who frequently fly beyond U.S. borders and would be restricted under current ICAO rules.
Ambrosi noted that Anderson did not engage with ALPA or attempt to work within the union to shape policy but instead “went VFR direct to Congress.”
“Our members have significant heartburn with that,” he said. “We need an ICAO ambassador that is there for the right reasons — not to be there on a single issue to go back to their constituents and say, ‘We changed something that was already settled.’”
ALPA represents nearly 80,000 pilots in North America, including at major U.S. carriers Delta and United. Some Senators are again pushing to raise the pilot retirement age after a proposal to do so failed last year.
Earlier this month, Trump nominated Anderson to serve as the United States Ambassador to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), filling a seat that has been vacant since July 2022, when C.B. “Sully” Sullenberger stepped down. The nomination is pending Senate confirmation.
