The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) welcomes the FAA’s decision to again postpone proposed changes to the airman medical certification process. If implemented, the FAA’s proposed changes would lead to a significant increase in pilot medical denials.
In 2024, the FAA proposed ending its longstanding practice of deferring incomplete medical applications to instead issue immediate denials while providing steps for reconsideration. These changes were scheduled to take effect on January 1. AOPA, along with a coalition of aviation organizations, suggested to the FAA Federal Air Surgeon, Dr. Susan Northrup, that any denials could cause unintended consequences and increase complexity for applicants. Subsequently, the proposed changes were delayed until March 1.
On February 28, the FAA announced it would again delay the implementation of the proposed denial policy and instead hold a listening session to “get feedback from stakeholders before making any decisions,” according to a FAA statement. The listening session with industry is scheduled for April 23.
“We appreciate the FAA’s efforts to seek additional input from AOPA and others. Our goal is to help pilots by working with the FAA to make the medical certification process more efficient while eliminating unnecessary burdens on applicants. At the same time, AOPA will continue its efforts to help modernize the FAA’s medical processes and systems, which are long overdue,” said AOPA President and CEO Darren Pleasance.
