For years, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) didn’t allow pilots with insulin-treated diabetes to fly commercial airliners, even as other countries like Canada and the United Kingdom began to ease their restrictions
The FAA issued a new medical protocol late last year for pilots with insulin-treated diabetes mellitus (ITDM),” the FAA said in a statement to CNN. “The decision was based on the advancement in medical technology and the treatment of ITDM. The protocol allows pilots with ITDM to apply for a special-issuance medical certificate to have air transport, commercial or private pilot privileges.”