Mr Lucas (Flight International, 22-28 October) does no justice to the situation in the Netherlands. By collective agreement, the retirement age for pilots is 56, as he says, but it has nothing to do with discrimination or force. The retirement age was set for a number of reasons, greed not being one of them. Mr Lucas also committed himself to this agreement by signing his contract. Nobody forced him to do so. The retirement age of 56 was upheld in several court cases.
Retirements are one of the most prominent opportunities for low-seniority pilots to make promotion. To stretch the retirement age would mean fewer opportunities for them. Pilots in the regional group are in the same situation since the step to the major airlines has been formalised. Mr Lucas himself has received promotions based on this so-called discriminatory system. The question is why Mr Lucas would want to fly past the set age. It can't be a financial issue, since the retirement plans in the Netherlands are good. If Mr Lucas wants to extend his professional career he is free to do so, but under another collective agreement.
Evert van Zwol Vice-president, VNV Dutch ALPA Badhoevedorp, The Netherlands
Source: Flight International
