Pilots With Diabetes

The primary aim of this website is to help enable people with insulin-treated diabetes to fly privately and professionally worldwide.

Background

Currently eight countries allow private flying with insulin treated diabetes – the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, Ireland, Austria, Israel and the Philippines). 

Six countries allow multi-crew commercial flying; Canada since 2002 and the UK since 2012, Ireland since 2014, Austria since 2017, Australia since 2020 and Kuwait (specific details being sought), while the USA FAA's protocol introduced in 2019 has no requirement for minimum two-crew cockpit operations. 

In November 2025, an EASA conference in Cologne reviewed a research study by the Universities of Graz and Surrey of in-flight blood glucose management data for insulin treated commercial and private pilots with diabetes using the existing UK, Ireland and Austria protocol. Over 38,000 data points were studied with encouraging conclusions, and it is understood that EASA will initiate a rulemaking task to consider policy for pilots with insulin treated diabetes with potential for policy to be introduced by late 2028.

History of “Pilots With Diabetes” Group & Countries With Existing Policy 

"Pilots With Diabetes" (PWD) was originally formed by a group of commercial and military pilots, aspiring commercial pilots and private pilots based in the United Kingdom in 2007, all grounded by insulin-treated diabetes (ITDM). The group engaged with the UK CAA to help introduce greater policy flexibility for pilots with ITDM. 

Canada and the USA introduced private flying for pilots with ITDM in 1997, also Australia, but with a requirement for a safety pilot (without diabetes). The UK introduced policy for ITDM in 2000 with a National Private Pilot Licence. Canada was the first to introduce commercial flying in 1997 for grounded commercial pilots, with an operational multicrew limitation.

In 2012, the UK CAA introduced commercial and unrestricted private flying for pilots with ITDM – after five years of dialogue between PWD and the CAA. 

On November 7, 2019, the USA FAA announced new policy to enable pilots with insulin treated diabetes to gain Class 1 and 2 medicals for commercial flying, based on Continuous Glucose Monitoring protocol. 

In May 2020 Australia began to issue First Class Medicals for commercial flying. 

In early 2019, a restriction in Canada which only allowed previously operational commercial pilots grounded by diabetes to return to flying operations once stable diabetes control was established, was lifted. 

It is understood that a similar restriction was lifted in 2020 by the UK CAA. The USA's system enables "ab initio" (or “de novo”) pilots aiming to embark upon a new flying career.

A huge thank you goes to many organisations which have helped campaigns for policy to be introduced by various countries, including the American Diabetes Association AOPA UK, AOPA USA and IAOPA Europe, the American Diabetes Association and the International Diabetes Federation.

To find out more information, or if you have new information for any country, please contact the following:

UK - (co-ordinating) contact link
Europe - contact link
Europe (Germany) - contact link
USA - contact link
Australia - contact link
Canada - contact link
South Africa - contact link
Philippines - contact link

UPDATES:

November 2019: USA FAA announcement - Decision Considerations Disease Protocols - Diabetes Mellitus Type I or Type II - Insulin Treated - CGM Option

March 2015: In the USA an "Expert Panel Recommendations for Pilots with Insulin-treated Diabetes" paper was released in March 2015

February 2015: The UK CAA has published an updated policy for pilots with diabetes (PDF)

Meantime there are specific efforts under way in the UK, USA and across Europe to help enable piloting with ITDM.

Disclaimer: This website is for informational purposes only; no responsibility for details posted is held; independent verification is required.

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