ALPA Applauds FAA Decision to Withdraw Proposed Medical Application Policy Change

McLean, Va. — Capt. Jason Ambrosi, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, Int'l (ALPA), today issued the following statement after a recent decision by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to withdraw a proposed change to its airman medical certification policy that would have replaced deferrals with denial letters when additional information is required to make a medical certification decision.

“This is a major win for all commercial airline pilots, and we commend the FAA for listening to industry feedback and choosing a collaborative approach to addressing medical certification challenges.

“Since the FAA first announced this proposed change late last year, ALPA has been working with the FAA and industry stakeholders on pushing back against this proposal. Under the proposed policy, the FAA would issue denial letters to pilots required to submit additional information causing unnecessary confusion, increase reporting burdens, and leaving pilots without the medical certification required for all U.S. commercial airline pilots.

“This decision demonstrates the agency's commitment to working with aviation stakeholders in finding solutions that maintain safety while avoiding unnecessary administrative hurdles for pilots. We look forward to participating in ongoing collaborative efforts with the FAA and our industry partners to modernize and further improve the airman medical system.”

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CONTACT: ALPA Media, 703-481-4440 or Media@alpa.org