NASSAU, BAHAMAS- Bahamasair and The Bahamas Airline Pilots Association (BALPA), announced Friday morning that the national flag carrier and its pilots have agreed to increase pilots' retirement age to 65 and have also signed a $500, 000 industrial agreement which is set to provide salary increases, navigation production pay and a number of other benefits for pilots.

The jobs of several pilots, over the age of 60, hung in limbo as the airline wrestled with the prospect of increasing the retirement age.

The airline previously clung to a longstanding mandatory pilot retirement age of 60.

The increase to 65 years is a bid for the airline to retain valuable expertise and facilitate a smoother transition in leadership.

BALPA President Mark Johnson noted that the association can breathe a sigh of relief now that 68 pilots, working for the nation's flag carrier, will reap the benefits they deserve.

Bahamasair's Managing Director, Tracy Cooper also asserted that both sides remained amicable, despite a number of bones of contention, and were able to put pen to paper.

The updated agreement, which replaces the previous one which expired in December 2022, expires in 2027 and is retroactive.

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