Medical requirements for cabin crew - information for airline operators

All operating cabin crew must hold a valid cabin crew Medical Report issued in accordance with Subpart C of Part-MED (Annex IV of Regulation (UK) No1178/2011 year as retained (and amended in UK domestic law) under the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018).

Cabin crew medical examinations and assessments may be carried out by a UK CAA approved Aeromedical Examiner (AME) or an approved Occupational Health Medical Practitioner (OHMP). A list of UK AMEs and OHMPs can be found at Find an AME.

The regulatory medical assessment is not an occupational health assessment. If an operator has a concern about a crew member's medical fitness, regardless of whether they have been assessed as fit in accordance with the regulatory requirements, they should refer the individual to their occupational health department or adviser.

Medical examinations and assessment

All new cabin crew require an initial medical examination. Periodic medical assessments are required for all cabin crew at intervals of no more than 60 months.

Cabin crew periodic medical assessments carried out up to 45 days prior to the expiry date of the previous Medical Report will be valid for 60 months from that expiry date. Assessments carried out more than 45 days before the expiry date of the previous Medical Report will be valid for 60 months from the date of the medical assessment.

A crew member shall not operate after the expiry date of their Medical Report until they have been medically assessed as fit and issued with a Medical Report.

If the Medical Report has expired, the AME or OHMP need only carry out a periodic medical assessment.

More frequent medical examinations or assessments may be required in certain circumstances, such as the crew member having a medical condition requiring regular surveillance.

Additional medical examinations or assessments may be necessary if:

A cabin crew member returns to work following a prolonged period of illness;
or
There is any doubt about the continued fitness of a cabin crew member.

Note: Some employers may also require cabin crew to have an assessment by their occupational health department or provider. It should always be made clear to the applicant whether a medical assessment is being carried out for the purposes of the UK Part-MED medical requirements, under the employer’s occupational health requirements, or both.

If the assessment is being undertaken for both UK Part-MED and occupational health requirements, this should be made clear to the applicant and any differences between the requirements should be explained. The applicant must be issued with a medical report, signed by the AME or OHMP responsible for the assessment, confirming that he or she is ‘fit’, ‘unfit’ or ‘fit with specified limitation(s)’ in all cases where an UK Part-MED medical assessment is carried out (see below).

Details of medical requirements

The UK requirements for cabin crew medical examinations and assessments are detailed in Implementing Rules (IRs) and Guidance Material (GM).

Medical report

Following a medical examination or assessment, the crew member will be issued with a Medical Report, which must be signed by the AME or OHMP. The crew member must sign the Report and provide a copy to their employer. There is no standard format for the Medical Report, but it must contain all of the elements specified in AMC1 MED.C.030 Cabin Crew Medical Report.

Decrease in medical fitness

Cabin crew who hold a Medical Report and experience a decrease in medical fitness are required to seek further advice. Details of the requirements can be found at Decrease in Medical Fitness.