Capt. Jason Ambrosi, the president of the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA), announced his stance regarding a recent decision by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The FAA elected to rescind a proposed amendment to its airman medical certification policy. This potential amendment would have instituted denial letters in place of deferrals when additional information was necessary for making a decision concerning medical certification.
Capt. Ambrosi stated, “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.”
The ALPA, along with industry partners, had been actively engaging with the FAA since the policy change was first proposed. Under the prospective policy, pilots needing to provide additional information would have received denial letters, leading to “unnecessary confusion, increase reporting burdens, and leaving pilots without the medical certification required for all U.S. commercial airline pilots,” according to Ambrosi.
“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,” Ambrosi commented. “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.”
Founded in 1931, the ALPA stands as the largest union representing airline pilots globally, with over 79,000 members across 42 airlines in the United States and Canada. More information can be found on their website or through their Twitter presence.
