The UK's Civil Aviation Authority has changed its rules to allow people with HIV to become commercial airline pilots after BuzzFeed News revealed how a man from Glasgow had been denied the chance to take up a training position with EasyJet because of his HIV status.

Equality campaigners were celebrating the historic victory following the announcement of the rule change on Thursday morning by Andrew Haines, chief executive of the CAA. The move was confirmed in the House of Commons by transport secretary Chris Grayling.

Last month, BuzzFeed News told the story of a man, named as Anthony, who said he had been denied his childhood dream of becoming an airline pilot because of what he said was HIV discrimination by the aviation authorities.



Previously, the CAA had told Anthony that it was bound to follow the rules laid down by the European regulator, the European Aviation Safety Authority (EASA), which meant that in order for people with HIV to become pilots they had to have a medical certificate with an addition called an "operational multi-crew limitation".

But the only way to obtain that would be to already have a commercial flying licence – blocking anyone already with HIV from entering the profession, and meaning that piloting was the only profession outside the armed services that barred HIV-positive people.

But when BuzzFeed News contacted EASA, the regulator insisted the CAA was in fact able to deviate from those rules.

Following the story, the CAA came under intense pressure to change the policy. Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland's first minister, warned that it could be in breach of equality legislation, and Lilian Greenwood, chair of the Commons transport select committee, wrote to the transport secretary about Anthony's case. He was also supported by HIV Scotland.