FAA agrees to review petition on pilot medical certification reforms

The Federal Aviation Administration has agreed to review a petition seeking reform of its Human Intervention Motivation Study program, which governs how pilots with substance-related and psychiatric conditions are monitored and returned to flying. The petition, filed by the advocacy group Pilots for HIMS Reform on Aug. 20, has been assigned Regulatory Docket No. FAA-2026-10399.

HIMS dates back to the 1970s and allows pilots diagnosed with substance dependence to receive treatment and monitoring while working toward returning to the cockpit. According to the FAA, HIMS-trained aviation medical examiners assess pilots for substance-related and other mental health conditions and can sponsor and monitor them through the certification process. The agency has said thousands of pilots have gone through the program, citing an 85% success rate in a 2024 safety publication.

The petition asks the FAA to set defined monitoring periods, establish objective criteria for stepping down from monitoring, and create a clear path toward unrestricted medical certification. It also calls for independent review of contested aeromedical decisions, firm deadlines for FAA processing, updated standards for substance-use disorders, and a self-sponsored option for general aviation pilots who lack access through an airline or union.

In its filing, Pilots for HIMS Reform said the changes would not entitle anyone to fly while medically unqualified. Instead, the group argues restrictions on pilots should be tied to a disclosed safety rationale, backed by current individualized evidence, no broader than necessary, open to meaningful review, and lifted once the underlying justification no longer applies.

The FAA confirmed it has begun an initial review of the petition. No timeline for a decision has been given.