For decades, pilots holding a first or second class medical were automatically disqualified from flying commercially if they were diagnosed with diabetes. Diabetic pilots are subject to losing consciousness and suffering seizures if their illness is not properly treated. To the FAA, the risk of a pilot passing out at the controls was always too high, though pilots can be found competent on a case-by-case basis if they operate only under Part 91. Now the DOT and the FAA may be rethinking that strategy for pilots who treat their diabetes with insulin thanks to a suit brought before the DC Circuit Court of Appeals by a pilot who believes advances in science make keeping diabetes under control is easier today than ever before.
FAA May be Changing its Thinking on Commercial Pilots With Diabetes
Key Takeaways:
- The FAA and DOT are rethinking the automatic disqualification of commercial pilots with insulin-treated diabetes, a long-standing policy due to concerns about in-flight incapacitation.
- This potential policy shift is driven by a recent court challenge and significant advances in medical technology and diabetes management science.
- The FAA believes it can now develop an evidence-based protocol to identify low-risk diabetic pilots who can safely maintain glycemic control during commercial flights, a change supported by major aviation and health associations.
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