El Al enters wrong runway for take off…pilots age queried

Is 65 too old for a pilot?
Do that many years affect his ability to fly?
This question is a focus of inquiry following the serious aviation safety incident at Ben-Gurion International Airport last month, in which an El Al flight entered the wrong runway and prepared for takeoff, while an Uzbekistan Air plane was coming in for a landing on the same runway.

The preliminary investigation into the incident indicated an error by the El Al pilot is what caused the near-accident. Most international standards ban pilots from flying after age 65, but not in Israel.
The pilot involved is over 65 and serves as a first officer on Boeing 747-400s, the plane involved in the incident.
The pilot used to fly 737s but recently was transferred to 747s.
The issue of the pilot’s inexperience with this plane is also being investigated.

It is highly unusual to find pilots over 65 on foreign airlines, and most countries make pilots’ retirement mandatory at age 65. However, some countries such as Canada allow pilots to fly after 65.

El Al employs between 10 and 20 such pilots and those who fly international routes must meet strict medical and training standards and undergo three medical exams a year, instead of the two required of younger colleagues, and three simulator training sessions a year instead of two.

Until this year, Israeli pilots were forced to retire at 65, but when the legal retirement age was officially raised to 67 the question of the two years from 65 to 67 arose. At first the solution was to ground the pilots and find them other airline work, but this cut their income. The regulations were later changed by the Israel Civil Aviation Authority, with pilots granted special permission to fly until age 67. However, they were not allowed to serve as pilots, but only as first officers.

Source: HAARETZ.com