Pilots of commercial planes should be allowed to keep flying until they are 67 years old, Sen. Ted Cruz, the chair of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation committee, says in a letter to the White House urging them to support a new international standard.

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Tuesday, the International Civil Aviation Organization will discuss increasing the worldwide age limit to 67 at their general assembly in Montreal.

Right now, both the United States and ICAO, which is part of the United Nations and regulates international flights, require pilots to retire when they reach 65.

"Not all senior citizens are created equal," Cruz wrote in the letter sent Friday. "Aviation safety is of paramount importance, which is why the most experienced pilots should be permitted to keep working."

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