FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine 
Civil Aerospace Medical Institute 

Report No: DOT/FAA/AM-25/58

Title and Subtitle: 2024 Aerospace Medical Certification Statistical Handbook

Report Date: October 2025

Authors: Skaggs VJ, Norris AI

Abstract: Introduction: The biennial Aerospace Medical Certification Statistical Handbook provides descriptive characteristics of all active U.S. civil aviation airmen. The 2024 edition presents the most recent and broadly relevant data regarding this population. 

Methods: Medical certification records from 2019–2024 were selected from the Document Imaging Workflow System, which is the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA’s) medical certification database. All data used in this handbook reflect each airman’s most recent medical examination, with the exception of the data for medical conditions, which were comprehensively compiled from both recent and historical medical certificates. Only airmen with a non-expired medical certificate were included. Airman variables analyzed include age, issued and effective medical classes, height, weight, body mass index (BMI), gender, select medical conditions, special issuances (SIs), and FAA region of residence. 

Results: As of December 31, 2024, 639,044 medically certified airmen were age 16 and older, and 56.8%, 13.7%, and 29.5% were issued a first-, second-, and third-class medical certificate, respectively. Across all medical classes, the average age was 38.2 years, 89.4% were male, and 10.6% were female. The mean BMI for female and male airmen was 24.4 kg/m2 and 27.0 kg/m2, respectively. Nearly 6.2% of issued certificates required an SI. The most-reported medical condition was hypertension treated with medication, reported among 5.7% of the population. 

Summary: This report contains widely requested data on the active U.S. civil airman population. This report is updated biennially and is used by the aerospace community, including FAA leadership, aerospace researchers, advocacy groups, legislative staff, and the general public. 

Key Words: Pilot Medical Certification, Pilot Demographics, Pilot Medical Conditions, Pilot Statistics, Aviation Medical Examiners 

No. of Pages: 38