A whistleblower complaint has led to renewed scrutiny of how the Federal Aviation Administration manages medical certification for pilots and air traffic personnel, raising questions about whether long review timelines have strained parts of the aviation safety system.
The Federal Aviation Administration has increased its medical staffing by about forty percent after allegations that delays in reviewing pilot and air traffic controller medical certifications created backlogs that could have affected workforce readiness and oversight. The changes come after claims that administrative delays left gaps in the certification process during a period of rising demand for air traffic controller hiring.
In a complaint submitted to the Office of Special Counsel, the whistleblower alleged that hundreds of pilots may have been operating without final medical clearance and that about one thousand two hundred individuals flagged for potential medical concerns had not received follow up evaluations. The filing also described extended review times that may have slowed the hiring pipeline for air traffic controllers, who must be medically cleared before entering training.
The Transportation Department did not substantiate the allegations, concluding that delays can occur at several stages of the certification system and that most potential issues are resolved through automated screening before reaching FAA medical officers. It...
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