WASHINGTON -- The Senate Commerce Committee today agreed to a modified version of Alaska Sen. Frank Murkowski's legislation to raise the mandatory retirement age for commercial airline pilots. The Committee reported bill raises the pilot retirement age to 63 from 60.

"This is a thoughtful, measured response to the serious pilot shortage in America that is having its greatest impact in rural communities. This bill clearly protects the flying public, while helping to ease the worsening shortage of experienced pilots that is threatening travel to rural areas. This will help maintain safe airline travel," said Murkowski.

Murkowski's bill would have raised the mandatory retirement age to 65. During a hearing on his bill Tuesday, Murkowski said he would be willing to accept an age 63 retirement rule. The committee's action also gives the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) the authority to require age 60+ pilots to undergo additional or "more stringent medical, cognitive or proficiency testing." FAA will also be able to establish new crew pairing standards for crews with age 60+ pilots.

Murkowski, in testimony before the Subcommittee on Aviation, noted that at a time when large commercial airline pilot rosters are growing, certified pilots nationwide have fallen by nearly 80,000 to 616,342 in the past 10 years (certified pilots in Alaska have fallen by 1,300 from 10,000 to about 8,700). Another 18,600 pilots are likely to retire in the next two years, according to a Smithsonian Institution study.

"This is an issue of age discrimination. Also it's an issue of access. When pilots are leaving small carriers because they can earn more money flying for the major commercial carriers, this exodus is having a devastating effect on service to rural and remote areas," Murkowski said.

"There is no reason why we can't continue to utilize the experience and sound judgment of older pilots, provided they are in good health," said Murkowski, who noted that 44 nations already have relaxed the age 60 retirement rule in the past decade.