Purpose

This Emergency Directive is issued in response to the situation created by COVID-19, and in particular, the increase to Level 4 of the COVID-19 alert system from 11:59 Wednesday 25 March 2020. This Emergency Directive is necessary to provide relief from certain requirements of Civil Aviation Rule Parts 61.35, 63.23 and 65.25, without compromising civil aviation safety.

Scope and Duration of Emergency Directive

Medical certificates with expiry dates between 26 March 2020 and 23 June 2020 remain in force until 24 June 2020. Holders of these medical certificates may continue to exercise the privileges of their aviation licences until 24 June 2020 subject to the Government travel restrictions. The applicable aviation licences are:

• Private pilot licence
• Commercial pilot licence
• Airline transport pilot licence
• Recreational pilot licence
• Air traffic trainee licence
• Air traffic controller licence
• Cadet flight engineer licence
• Flight engineer licence

Any conditions, restrictions or endorsements on the existing medical certificate must continue to be complied with in order to exercise the privileges of the licence.

If, due to COVID-19, the medical certificate holder is unable to complete medical tests that are a condition of the medical certificate, the medical certificate holder may apply to the Director of Civil Aviation to extend the due date for those testing and reporting requirements.

The Civil Aviation Authority reminds all licence holders that under section 27C of the Civil Aviation Act 1990, if a licence holder is aware of, or has reasonable grounds to suspect, that any change in his or her medical condition or the existence of any previously undetected medical condition that may interfere with the safe exercise of the privileges to which his or her medical certificate relates, the licence holder—

1. must advise the Director of the change as soon as practicable; and
2. may not exercise the privileges to which the licence holder’s medical certificate relates.

This Emergency Directive will expire in accordance with section 27G(4) of the Civil Aviation Act 1990, unless renewed by the Director of Civil Aviation.

Legal Authority to Make this Emergency Directive

This Emergency Directive is issued under section 27G(4) of the Civil Aviation Act 1990.

Dated at Wellington this 26th day of March 2020.

GRAEME HARRIS, Director of Civil Aviation.