On 5 April 2025 the Civil Aviation Act 2023 (CA Act 2023) came into effect. There are no material changes to the medical certification system or the designation and powers of MEs with the transition from the 1990 Act to the CA Act 2023.
Until 5 April the provisions established under the 1990 Act remained, including the roles and responsibilities of Medical Examiners (MEs).
At the core of the medical certification system are Medical Examiners (MEs) designated by the Director of Civil Aviation (the Director) by being issued a certificate. This ME designation certificate is an Aviation Document, the privileges of which enable the ME to conduct examinations for a specified class of aviation medical certificates. These are described in the Civil Aviation Rules (the rules).
Medical Examiners may also be delegated certain powers and functions of the Director, such as the power to issue medical certificates. In practice, all MEs are given the delegation to suspend medical certificates of the Class(es) they are allowed to examine, for 10 working days and to extend the suspension by a further 10 working days, as described in Changes in medical condition / suspension process.
The rules are made by the Minister of Transport under the Civil Aviation Act. The medical standards are prescribed in Civil Aviation Rules (CAR) Part 67.
General Directions (GDs) are issued by the Director under Schedule 2, clause 25 of the CA Act 2025. They are items of legislation and are mandatory. They provide directions to MEs in relation to the conduct of medical examinations, and other requirements.
In that regard they address matters of a clinical nature, refer to Use of General Directions.
