Cabin crew medical
A medical assessment that decides whether you are fit to work as cabin crew, with safety duties in mind, against UK Civil Aviation Authority standards.
✓ Medically reviewed by a GMC-registered consultant · last reviewed September 2026 · next review September 2027 · how we review
In short
- Cabin crew are safety crew, so the medical checks you are fit for emergency duties — not just service — against CAA Part-MED standards.
- It must be done by a CAA-approved Aeromedical Examiner (AME) or Occupational Health Medical Practitioner (OHMP), who is impartial.
- The result is a 'cabin crew medical report' (fit, or fit with limitations); periodic re-assessment is required, normally at least every 5 years.
- Be honest about your health, medicines, mental health and pregnancy — conditions that are minor on the ground can matter at altitude and in an emergency.
A plain-English summary. The detail — including risks and recovery — is below.
At a glance
A general guide. Your specialist will give you advice for your situation.
Confirms you are fit to work as cabin crew, so you can start or continue flying.
Using the assessment as a general health check — it only answers fitness for cabin crew duties against the CAA standard.
The examiner usually tells you the outcome and issues your cabin crew medical report. Any limitation is explained, and you give a copy to your employer.
A clear explanation of the outcome, any limitation, and when your next assessment is due.
The examiner usually tells you the outcome and issues your cabin crew medical report. Any limitation is explained...
The examiner may ask for an eye test, GP details or a specialist opinion before deciding. This is routine and not...
You are told why and what needs to happen (for example recovery or treatment) before you can be re-assessed and...
Diarise your re-assessment date (normally at least every 5 years) and arrange it in good time so your report stays...
What is a cabin crew medical?
A cabin crew medical is an assessment that decides whether you are medically fit to work as cabin crew. It exists because cabin crew are safety crew, not just service staff: in an emergency you may need to open heavy doors, operate slides, fight a fire, give first aid, and help passengers evacuate quickly. It is a fitness-for-work assessment, not a treatment.
In the UK the standards come from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), under aircrew regulations known as Part-MED (Subpart C covers cabin crew). The assessment must be done by an Aeromedical Examiner (AME) or an Occupational Health Medical Practitioner (OHMP) approved by the CAA. It results in a 'cabin crew medical report' confirming you are fit, or fit with limitations.
The assessment looks at things that matter in the cabin and at altitude: your heart and circulation, lungs and breathing, vision and hearing, mental health, and any condition or medicine that could affect you or your safety duties — including how pregnancy and some conditions interact with flying. You are told the outcome and given your report, which you provide to your employer.
The assessment can find a condition that affects your fitness to fly. That can be disappointing, but the standards protect you, your colleagues and your passengers in an environment where you cannot simply step outside for help.
Types, options & approaches
There may be different ways to do this. The right approach depends on the clinical question and your circumstances.
Cabin crew vs pilot medical (in brief)
| Point | Cabin crew | Pilot |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Fitness for safety and emergency duties | Fitness to control the aircraft |
| Standard | Part-MED Subpart C | Pilot medical classes (e.g. Class 1) |
| Output | Cabin crew medical report | Medical certificate |
| Examiner | AME or approved OHMP | AME |
Cabin crew and pilot medicals are different. This guide is about the cabin crew assessment.
Preparing for your test
- Check whether you need a UK CAA cabin crew assessment for your role and book a CAA-approved AME or OHMP.
- Bring photo ID and any previous cabin crew medical report.
- Bring any glasses or contact lenses you use, and recent eye-test details if you have them.
- Bring a full list of your medicines and doses, including inhalers, contraception, and anything bought over the counter.
- Bring details and letters about conditions such as heart problems, diabetes, epilepsy, mental-health conditions, ear or sinus problems, or anaemia.
- Tell the examiner if you are or may be pregnant, as this affects fitness to continue flying.
- Be ready for vision and hearing checks and a general examination, and answer honestly — leaving out a relevant condition can invalidate the report.
What happens
The appointment is a structured assessment against the CAA standards, not a treatment. The approved examiner reviews your medical history, mental health and medicines, then examines you.
You will usually have your eyesight and hearing checked, and your heart, lungs and blood pressure assessed. The examiner is thinking about altitude and the cabin environment (lower oxygen, pressure changes, long shifts, disturbed sleep) and about your ability to carry out emergency duties such as evacuation and first aid.
The examiner then decides whether you meet the standard and issues a cabin crew medical report saying you are fit, or fit with limitations (for example wearing glasses). You sign it and give a copy to your employer. If your fitness is in doubt, you may be asked for more information or a specialist opinion. The examiner is impartial: the job is to apply the standard honestly, not to pass everyone.
Is this test right for me?
A good consultation should explore whether it's the right choice for you now — including reasons to wait or consider something else.
May not be suitable if…
- Using the assessment as a general health check — it only answers fitness for cabin crew duties against the CAA standard.
- Expecting any doctor to issue it — it must be a CAA-approved AME or OHMP.
- Relying on it if you already know you do not currently meet a clear standard for a serious condition.
- Treating it as a pilot medical — the standards and process are different.
Delay or rearrange if…
- You have a recent blackout, seizure, heart event, stroke or unstable symptoms still being investigated.
- You are recovering from recent surgery, serious illness or a significant mental-health episode.
- Your diabetes is poorly controlled or you have had recent severe hypoglycaemia.
- You have a current ear or sinus problem that stops you equalising pressure.
- You are pregnant with complications, or unsure of your stage and fitness to fly.
Alternatives to discuss
- Getting any underlying condition assessed and treated first, then re-attending when stable.
- Asking a CAA-approved examiner about your specific condition before booking.
- Seeking a review if you are found not fit, rather than simply re-testing elsewhere.
- Occupational-health advice on temporary ground duties where available.
- For pregnancy, agreeing a plan with your employer for time-limited flying and ground duties.
Before you decide
Use this as a shared-decision checklist. The aim is not just “can this be done?”, but whether it is right for you, now, with the risks and alternatives clearly understood.
What matters most to me?
Think about symptoms, daily life, work, caring responsibilities, sport, fertility, travel, appearance and anxiety — the right choice depends on your priorities, not just the medical facts.
What are all my options?
Ask about waiting, monitoring, medicines, rehabilitation, a smaller or larger procedure, a different test, NHS referral, or a second opinion where that would help.
What would make me pause?
Active infection, pregnancy, unstable medical problems, smoking, medicines that increase bleeding, poor support at home, or feeling pressured are all reasons to slow down and get tailored advice.
What happens if I do nothing today?
For some problems, waiting is safe; for others, delay can make treatment harder. A good consultation should explain the trade-off in plain English.
Benefits
- Confirms you are fit to work as cabin crew, so you can start or continue flying.
- Helps keep you, your colleagues and passengers safe by checking you can perform safety duties.
- Can detect a health problem in time to treat it.
- Clarifies how a condition or pregnancy affects your ability to fly, with clear advice.
- Gives documentation of any limitation without sharing your private medical detail with the employer.
Risks & complications
- Finding you need glasses or contact lenses recorded as a limitation.
- Being asked for more information or a specialist report before a decision.
- Being given a report valid for a shorter time so your health is reviewed sooner.
- Time and cost, as this is a paid aviation medical, not NHS care.
- Being assessed as temporarily not fit to fly after illness, surgery or a mental-health episode.
- Needing referral or further tests that delay starting or returning to work.
- Discovering a condition that needs treatment and may affect flying.
- Being assessed as not currently fit for cabin crew duties.
- A serious finding (such as an abnormal heart rhythm or very high blood pressure) needing prompt medical care.
The conditions that matter most for cabin crew are those that could suddenly incapacitate you, impair your safety duties, or be made worse by altitude — for example heart disease, epilepsy, severe anaemia, poorly controlled diabetes, significant mental-health conditions, and some ear or lung problems. Pregnancy is handled carefully because flying is usually time-limited. If you think a condition may affect you, ask the examiner what the standard requires and what could change the outcome.
Published figures to discuss
There is no meaningful complication rate for this assessment, because it is a fitness check rather than a procedure. How often cabin crew are found unfit or limited varies widely by age, role and underlying health, and is not published as a single reliable figure. We therefore avoid quoting a percentage and describe outcomes in plain terms instead.
| Figure | Reported range | How to interpret it | Source / confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physical harm from the medical | Very low | This is an assessment, not a treatment; any risk comes from incorrect fitness decisions. | NHS — Travelling in pregnancy (flying)nhs.ukSource-linked context |
| Temporary unfitness or restrictions | Role- and condition-specific | Pregnancy, recent surgery, uncontrolled symptoms, medication side effects or infectious illness can affect safety duties. | Guide sourcesClinical context |
| Confidentiality misunderstanding | Common occupational-health pitfall | The worker should know what medical information is shared with the employer and what remains confidential. | Guide sourcesClinical context |
| Fitness decision based on incomplete records | Recognised | CAA standards, GP/specialist information and functional role demands may all be needed before a final opinion. | NHS — Travelling in pregnancy (flying)nhs.ukSource-linked context |
These are literature figures, not a personalised prediction. Your own risks and likely benefits depend on your circumstances, your health, and how your care is carried out and followed up.
What happens afterwards
There is no physical recovery. 'Afterwards' is about your medical report, any limitations, and what to do if a health issue is found.
- Being asked for an eye test, GP letter or specialist opinion before a decision is common.
- A limitation such as 'must wear glasses' is routine and still lets you fly.
- A shorter validity for closer review is a normal outcome with some conditions.
- Feeling anxious while waiting for the outcome is understandable when your job depends on it.
Aftercare
- Keep your cabin crew medical report safe and give your employer a copy as required.
- If a limitation applies (for example glasses), always follow it on duty.
- If a health problem was found, see your GP or specialist and follow the plan.
- Tell an approved examiner if your health changes in a way that could affect fitness to fly, including pregnancy.
- Diarise your re-assessment date and arrange it in good time.
- Keep a copy of your report; you can usually see a report before it is shared and ask for factual corrections.
- Do not fly after your report expires until you have been re-assessed as fit.
- Photo ID
- Previous cabin crew medical report
- Glasses or contact lenses
- Recent eye-test details if available
- Up-to-date medicines list
- Specialist or GP letters about relevant conditions
- A note of your re-assessment date
⚠ Get urgent help if…
- Sudden change or loss of vision, or double vision — get assessed before flying.
- Blackout, faint, fit or seizure — seek medical advice and do not fly until reviewed.
- Chest pain, severe breathlessness or palpitations — seek urgent medical care.
- Symptoms of a stroke (face drooping, arm weakness, slurred speech) — call 999 immediately.
- New severe mental-health symptoms or thoughts of self-harm — seek help promptly and do not fly until assessed.
- Severe ear or sinus pain that stops you equalising pressure — get checked before flying.
- Pregnancy with bleeding, severe pain or other complications — seek medical advice and review fitness to fly.
Who to contact: your clinician, clinic or test provider first (keep their number to hand). For urgent advice when you can't reach them, call NHS 111. In an emergency, call 999.
General guidance — it doesn't replace the specific advice your specialist gives you.
Results & realistic expectations
A good result means you meet the CAA standard and receive a cabin crew medical report, sometimes with sensible limitations such as wearing glasses. Re-assessment is required periodically, normally at least every 5 years.
A medical assessment cannot guarantee you will stay well, and it does not remove the need to seek help if your health changes. If you are found temporarily not fit, this is usually not permanent — many conditions can be treated or stabilised, after which you can be re-assessed. The examiner should explain exactly what needs to happen.
A cabin crew medical report is a snapshot. It is valid for a set period (re-assessment normally at intervals of no more than 5 years), but a new or worsening condition — or pregnancy — can require an earlier review. Renew before expiry, because you should not fly on an expired report.
Related tests, treatments or support
Cabin crew medicals sit alongside required safety training. The medical certifies fitness; it does not cover training or competence, which are assessed separately. Some conditions may also need input from your own GP or a specialist alongside the aviation assessment.
Follow-up & long-term care
If you are fit, the next contact is your periodic re-assessment. If more information is needed, the examiner will tell you what to provide. If a condition is found or you are limited, you may be referred to your GP or specialist and told what must happen before you can fly again.
- Keep long-term conditions such as diabetes, blood pressure and heart conditions well controlled and reviewed.
- Keep your eyesight and hearing checked, especially before re-assessment.
- Re-assess before your report expires to avoid a gap that stops you flying.
- Seek a reassessment if your health changes, or as soon as you know you are pregnant.
Repeat, follow-on and what comes next
- Being asked for an eye test, GP letter or specialist opinion before a decision is common and is not a failure.
- A limitation (such as 'must wear glasses') or a shorter validity is a frequent, sensible outcome.
- Many people found temporarily not fit can return to flying after treatment or recovery and re-assessment.
Ask what happens if the result is unclear or needs repeating, and what is included if further tests or follow-up are needed.
What good aftercare looks like
- A clear explanation of the outcome, any limitation, and when your next assessment is due.
- Honest advice on whether it is safe to fly while a condition is treated, or during pregnancy.
- Signposting to your GP or a specialist if a health problem was found.
- Clear information on what must happen before you can return to flying if found not fit.
- A copy of your report and the chance to correct factual errors before it is shared.
What affects the cost
Costs vary a great deal between people and providers, and we don't publish prices. What matters is understanding what drives the cost and making sure your quote is complete. The main things that affect it:
- The approved examiner's fee (AME or OHMP).
- Whether additional tests are needed, such as detailed eye, hearing or heart-rhythm assessment.
- Whether the examiner needs to obtain records or a specialist opinion.
- How quickly you need the appointment and report.
- Whether a re-assessment is needed after illness, surgery or pregnancy.
- Whether your employer pays or you pay yourself.
- The fee for the assessment and the medical report.
- Whether vision and hearing tests are included.
- Any extra fee for additional tests or specialist input.
- What happens, and any cost, if more information is needed before a decision.
- What happens if you are found temporarily not fit.
- Whether a follow-up or re-assessment is included.
On the NHS? The cabin crew medical is an aviation occupational assessment with a fee rather than NHS care; the NHS still treats any condition the assessment uncovers.
You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including reports, follow-up and what happens if the result is inconclusive — before you decide.
Consent traps and marketing red flags
These are not small details. They are often where patients lose choice, time to reflect, or realistic expectations.
Consent traps
- Not being clear that the examiner is impartial and applies a fixed standard.
- Releasing a full medical report to an employer without your explicit consent, rather than just the fitness outcome.
- Not being told you can usually see a report before it is shared and ask for factual corrections (Access to Medical Reports Act 1988).
- Feeling pressured to under-report a condition or pregnancy to keep flying, which can be unsafe and invalidate the report.
- No clear explanation of what must happen before you can fly again if found temporarily not fit.
Marketing red flags
- 'Guaranteed pass' or 'no-fail' cabin crew medicals.
- Assessments offered by examiners not approved by the CAA.
- Suggesting you hide a condition or pregnancy from the examiner.
- Vague pricing with extra charges only revealed after the appointment.
- Claiming a 'not fit' decision can simply be bought around at another clinic.
Choosing a specialist safely
- Check the specialist is on the GMC Specialist Register for this area.
- Make sure they work at a CQC-registered service, and look for membership of the relevant Royal College or professional body.
- You're entitled to time to consider and to have your questions answered before you agree — the specialist who looks after you should explain it, not a salesperson.
- Be wary of pressure: time-limited offers or deposits taken before you've had time to think are red flags, not bargains.
- You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including any follow-up — before you decide.
Questions to ask your medical professional
Take this to your consultation. A good specialist will welcome every one of these.
- Do I meet the vision and hearing standards, and will any correction be recorded?
- If I have a condition such as a heart problem, diabetes or a mental-health condition, what does the standard require?
- How does any medicine I take affect my fitness or alertness on duty?
- If I am pregnant, how long can I keep flying and when must I stop?
- If you cannot pass me as fully fit, what would need to change, and how do I seek a review?
- How long will my report last, and when is my next assessment due?
- What information goes to my employer, and what stays confidential?
- Are you on the GMC Specialist Register for this area, and which Royal College or professional body are you a member of?
- Will you be the specialist who carries out my test, and who looks after me afterwards?
- What are the risks for someone like me, and how often do your own patients have a problem or need it repeated or redone?
- What does a realistic result look like — and what can this test not achieve?
- What are my options, including waiting, doing nothing for now, or choosing a different approach?
- Can I have written information, results and aftercare instructions in a format I can use, including any accessibility or communication support I need?
- What is the total cost in writing, including any follow-ups, and how much time do I have to decide?
Frequently asked questions
Who can carry out a cabin crew medical?
How often do I need re-assessment?
Can I fly while pregnant?
Is a cabin crew medical the same as a pilot medical?
Is it available on the NHS?
Will my employer see my medical details?
What happens if I take regular medication?
Find a verified specialist for cabin crew medical
Every consultant is GMC-checked and independently reviewed. Search by postcode and distance, or switch to a map. Ordered by rating, relevance and recency — never by who pays.
No verified consultants list this procedure yet — browse the full directory.
How we made this page
Medically reviewed by a GMC-registered consultant. Written in plain English, checked against NHS, NICE, GMC and relevant Royal College / specialist-society guidance, and kept under review. No clinic paid to appear on this page, and we publish no pricing. This is general information to help you prepare — it is not a substitute for advice from your own clinician. How we review our guides →
Source hierarchy: UK regulator and NHS/NICE guidance first, then relevant Royal College or specialist-society guidance, then peer-reviewed evidence for procedure-specific figures where available.
Sources & standards: UK CAA — Medical requirements for cabin crew UK CAA — Medical information for cabin crew UK CAA — Find an aeromedical examiner / medical standards Faculty of Occupational Medicine — Good Occupational Medical Practice NHS — Travelling in pregnancy (flying) Access to Medical Reports Act 1988 (legislation.gov.uk)
Reviews reflect patients' experience of care, not clinical outcomes. For procedure volumes and outcome data see PHIN.
Last medically reviewed 2026-09-21. Spotted something wrong or out of date? Report an error in this guide.
Related guides: Seafarer medical (ENG1) · Driver medical (HGV, bus or taxi) · Night worker health assessment · Display screen equipment (DSE) assessment · Drug and alcohol testing