Paradoxes of technology. Reflections on early and late retirement in the digital transition: The case of commercial pilots

Abstract

Discrimination on ground of age has always been a matter of difficult apprehension in the legal field, especially since Council Directive 2000/78/EC of 27 November 2000 establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation, admitted the establishment on a national basis of justified differences in treatment, in view what it described as legitimate objectives of employment or labor market. Although technological innovation is often seen as a possible vector for the expulsion of older workers, finally it can also constitute an appreciable element when it comes to inducing the permanence of older workers as assets in the labour market. In this sense, this article reflects on the peculiar situation experienced by pilots and co-pilots when making decisions about their professional life, in view of the current legislation, the evident technological advances in the commercial air transport sector, and the imperatives derived from aeronautical safety.