The European Commission will set up a rulemaking group in early 2027 to draft regulatory provisions allowing people with well-controlled insulin-dependent diabetes to become pilots or air traffic controllers, subject to safety mitigations, Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas said on 26 June 2026. The move responds to a parliamentary question from S&D MEP Thomas Bajada, who had urged the Commission to act on a September 2025 EASA report recommending updates to aviation medical rules. The Commissioner confirmed that the objective is to replace the current blanket exclusion of insulin users with an evidence-based certification framework, while maintaining a high level of aviation safety through individual assessments and operational limitations. The answer signals a concrete timeline for regulatory change, though the precise mitigating measures will be determined by medical experts. The rulemaking group is expected to start work in early 2027, with the Commission aiming to reduce barriers that push young Europeans with diabetes to seek aviation careers outside the EU.
Source✉ Open answer ↗
Asked byThomas Bajada (S&D) · answered by Apostolos Tzitzikostas