Pilots with diabetes should not have to sacrifice their careers because of their condition, MEP Peter Agius is arguing.
The Nationalist MEP said EU protocol permits countries to let pilots with Type 1 diabetes continue flying if their blood sugar levels are well controlled.
But this is “adopted by only a few member states and relies on outdated technology like fingerpick glucose monitoring”, Agius said.
Malta is among the EU countries that do not allow diabetic pilots to fly under any circumstances.
One pilot who had been working in Ireland learned that he was a diabetic when he was preparing for his transfer to Malta in November 2023. Since then, his life has been in limbo, he told Times of Malta.
“I cannot have a long-term plan for my life and I don’t know when I will be able to fly again,” the Maltese pilot said.
“I wanted to move back to Malta. Now I must go abroad again,” he said.
To fly again, he will probably have to return to Ireland – one of the few EU countries that allow diabetic pilots to take to the skies.
Action is urgently needed to ensure equal opportunities for diabetic pilots across the EU- PN MEP Peter Agius
Pilots based in Ireland have to show stable blood glucose levels for six months and take other tests before being given the go-ahead to take off, he said.
Agius said action is urgently needed to “ensure equal opportunities for diabetic pilots across the EU”.
Agius asked the European Commission to explain the steps it will take to ensure all member states adopt a standardised approach.
The MEP also asked for an explanation of how the commission plans to “tackle the professional and emotional toll on diabetic pilots and ensure fair treatment across the EU”.
Agius requested an update on ongoing research on the topic by the EU’s Aviation Agency and how the European Union Aviation Safety Agency plans to include new diabetes-tracking technology in its policies.
He said that several countries outside Europe have safely allowed diabetic pilots to take to the skies.
“For many pilots in the EU, a diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes is leading to the loss of a pilot’s licence and, hence, their flying careers.”