The Department sets and implements medical requirements for professional flight crew, private pilots and air traffic controllers.

An aviation medical requirement must achieve acceptable safety standards whilst allowing as many as possible who wish to fly or control, to do so. This is a balance that may be shifted by many things:

• Advances in medicine may allow people to start or continue flying or controlling who would previously have been barred.
• In order to achieve wide recognition of a licence, groups of countries may agree a set of harmonised requirements which results in a change of national standards. This has happened with the implementation of the Joint Aviation Requirements.
• Research and audit may show that previously accepted regulations may not actually contribute to flight safety.
• An aircraft accident caused by a medical incapacitation may require the regulatory authority to increase the requirements.

We hope that this site will answer any questions you may have on the current medical regulations. We seek particularly to explain the initial and renewal medical requirements for everybody involved in professional and private aviation, and also how it may be possible to regain a medical certificate after illness.