FAA apologizes for delay on medical petition FAA apologizes for delay on medical petition Says agency must carefully consider 'measured risks' Says agency must carefully consider 'measured risks'

Administrator Michael Huerta has formally responded to an AOPA request for an update on the status of the association’s third-class medical petition, but it remains unclear when the agency will make a final decision.

In the Dec. 26 letter, Huerta apologized for the delay in taking action on the petition, saying it was important to “ensure that such an unprecedented change will not result in any adverse impact that could lead to degradation in safety.”

The administrator also acknowledged the importance of the issue to pilots, referring to the more than 16,000 comments submitted on the petition.

The letter was sent following a meeting with AOPA President Mark Baker that included discussion of the third-class medical issue.

“We appreciate the administrator’s willingness to discuss this issue and the FAA’s concern for safety—that’s always our highest priority,” said Baker. “But we do feel pilots have waited long enough for an answer, so we will keep vigorously pursuing both our petition and legislative options to expand the use of the driver’s license medical standard.”