Ask the Captain: What do airline dispatchers do? Why are first officers on international flights older?
Why do the co-pilots on international flights tend to be older than on domestic flights?
– Ernie Gann, Washington State
International flights are desirable, therefore they go to senior pilots. Some pilots conclude that they would rather be a senior first officer on international flights than a captain on domestic flights.
I know several pilots who never flew as a captain in order to fly the larger airplanes internationally.