MEP Thomas Bajada (S&D) has asked the European Commission to explain what steps it has taken since the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) published its diabetes project report in September 2025, and when it will amend EU aircrew medical rules to allow insulin-using pilots and air traffic controllers to fly. The written question, submitted on 23 April 2026, challenges the current blanket exclusion of applicants requiring insulin, which Bajada argues forces young Europeans with diabetes to seek aviation careers outside the EU.
Question targets outdated medical rules
Bajada's question notes that EASA's three-year diabetes project recommended updating implementing rules and considering certification pathways for pilots and air traffic controllers using insulin or other glucose-lowering medication with a low risk of hypoglycaemia, subject to individual assessment and operational limitations. Despite this, EU rules still automatically deem such applicants unfit. The MEP asks whether the Commission will replace the blanket exclusion with a strict, evidence-based certification framework, and whether it will assess the barriers pushing young Europeans with diabetes to leave Europe for aviation careers.
Policy direction and expected follow-up
The question signals a push for modernisation of aviation medical standards, aligning with practices in comparable non-EU systems that already allow safeguarded pathways. The Commission is expected to reply within approximately six weeks; its answer will indicate whether it plans to act on EASA's recommendations or maintain the status quo. The issue affects aspiring pilots and air traffic controllers with diabetes, EU aviation industry recruitment, and EASA's regulatory credibility.