The objectives of Rulemaking Task (RMT).0287 (MED.001) are:
- to allow the update of the medical requirements in line with the evolution of the medical science;
- to address the concerns and difficulties identified during the implementation process of the medical requirements; and
- to remove any editorial inconsistencies,
to ensure that the rules are fit for purpose and can be implemented in practice. To facilitate the rulemaking process and collect implementation feedback on the authority requirements and related acceptable means of compliance (AMC) and guidance material (GM), RMT.0287 was split in the following two subtasks:
- Subtask 1 (completed) aimed to update the medical requirements of Annex IV (Part-MED) to Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011 (‘Aircrew Regulation’) and the related AMC and GM.
- Subtask 2 (renamed ‘Subtask 2a’) aims to update the medically relevant subparts of Annex VI (Part ARA) and Annex VII (Part-ORA) to the Aircrew Regulation and the related AMC and GM. Under this subtask, Notice of Proposed Amendment (NPA) 2017 22 was published on 21 December 2017 and publicly consulted for 3 months.
Due to the increasing number of exemptions from the Aircrew rules regarding the age limits for pilots conducting single-pilot helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) operations, a new subtask (Subtask 2b) is added to revisit the pilot age limit for single-pilot commercial air transport (CAT) operations. The task will explore the possibility of gradually raising that pilot age limit from 60 to 65 years, starting with pilots conducting HEMS operations. Subtask 2b takes into account the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) report Age Limitations for Commercial Air Transport Pilots.