P. M. BRIEFING : Flight Engineer Retirement on Hold
The Supreme Court, in a case stemming from Delta Air Lines’ takeover of Western Air Lines, today refused to let Delta force the retirement of a group of flight engineers over age 60.
The justices, without comment, let stand a ruling that Delta is bound by an age-bias lawsuit the flight engineers won against Western.
A federal judge in California ordered Western in 1981 to abandon its mandatory retirement age of 60 for flight engineers. The judge also permitted pilots to bid for flight engineer jobs when they approached 60, the retirement age for pilots.
That ruling stemmed from a suit by 15 flight engineers who accused Western of violating the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act aimed at protecting older workers.
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