COPA and AOPA Urge Canada to Open Airspace to BasicMed Pilots

On August 14,COPA President and CEO Marcia Kim has joined AOPA leadership in sending a joint letter to Minister of Transport Chrystia Freeland, asking for reform to the Canadian aviation medical standards and for the immediate acceptance of U.S. pilots operating under the FAA’s BasicMed program to fly in Canadian airspace.

Since BasicMed’s introduction in 2017, more than 90,000 U.S. pilots have qualified to fly safely under its provisions. FAA data confirms that BasicMed offers a sufficient level of safety equivalent to the existing Canadian Category 3 standard, while significantly reducing administrative burden for both pilots and regulators.

Transport Canada has previously communicated they are assessing changes to the current Category 4 medical standard for Canadian pilots; changes that COPA believes will adopt similar principles to BasicMed. Once implemented, this new standard will create an opportunity for a bilateral agreement, allowing Canadian pilots operating under the revised Category 4 to fly into the United States under similar conditions.

While early discussions on BasicMed recognition were paused during the COVID-19 pandemic, COPA believes the time is right to move forward. The proven safety record of BasicMed provides a solid foundation for Canada to welcome these pilots and strengthen cross-border General Aviation activity.

“The FAA BasicMed medical category has clearly demonstrated that aviation medical standards can be safely reformed and simplified,” said COPA President and CEO Marcia Kim. “COPA supports similar reform to the Canadian Category 4 medical standard and encourages recognition of the U.S. BasicMed standard in Canada.”

COPA continues to advocate for policies that directly impact pilots in Canada, including advocating for a simple, safe, and practical aviation medicine reform. We remain committed to protecting Canadians' freedom to fly through streamlined processes that benefit our community.

We will be working closely with AOPA, Transport Canada, and U.S. regulators to promote reciprocal arrangements that will benefit the General Aviation community in both countries, while maintaining focus on the highest standards of safety.