First it was happening, then it was delayed, then it was happening again, and now it’s not. The FAA says it will delay implementation of its controversial sleep apnea policy after all, as it gathers additional input from the aviation and medical communities.
The policy, which infuriated overweight pilots by mandating obstructive sleep apnea screening for those with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher, was scheduled to go into effect in January. AOPA, EAA, the National Business Aviation Association and other groups vigorously opposed to the policy, arguing that there was no scientific or safety basis for the mandatory screening, which reportedly could cost individual pilots up to $5,000 for testing.
