FAA Grants Temporary Halt on the Enforcement of Expiring Medical Certificates

The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) welcomed an additional FAA provision, allowing Part 135 to continue to operate in these uncertain times. Today, the FAA announced that pilot flight crewmembers and flight engineers with expiring airmen medical certificates will be allowed to continue to fly. 

FAA granted a temporary halt on enforcement  due to “extraordinary circumstances related to the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic” and solely to pilot flight crewmembers or flight engineers with certificates expiring within the prescribed timeframe of March 31 through June 30, 2020. The language can be found here.

The FAA encourages airmen who are able to complete their regularly required airman medical certificate exam with an FAA AME to continue to do so at this time.

The FAA indicated that it is continuing to work with leadership on other interim medical certificate solutions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Earlier this week, the FAA had issued exemptions in response to NATA's requests for relief from certain crew training and checking requirements for Part 135 operators.