HIV-positive pilot calls for MoD rule change

James Bushe qualified to fly commercially in 2018 after challenging the Civil Aviation Agency's (CAA) decision to not grant his medical licence

An HIV-positive pilot is campaigning for the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to relax restrictions on individuals with the condition flying aircraft in the military.

James Bushe, from Stoke-on-Trent, qualified as a commercial airline pilot in 2022 after the Civil Aviation Agency (CAA) overturned its decision to not grant him the required medical certificate due to his illness.

The MoD allows people living with HIV to serve in the military but they are not allowed to train to become a pilot if diagnosed prior to joining - a barrier which Mr Bushe says must be removed.

The MoD said it was beginning a review of rules in the next couple of weeks.

Mr Bushe first applied to become a commercial pilot in 2017 after his diagnosis, however he had to challenge the CAA before he was able to begin his training.

Mr Bushe became the first newly-qualified pilot in Europe living with HIV.

Speaking to BBC Radio Stoke he said: "To be able to become a pilot and realise that dream, it's meant that HIV hasn't won.

"In 2025, I'm going to be working with the MoD and the defence secretary, Luke Pollard, to understand in more detail what their concerns are."

Mr Bushe said the UK CAA was the "most-progressive regulator in the world" and now wanted to help implement the same model in the military and in other countries.

"There's absolutely no reason for these barriers to be in place."

He added: "This is safe and we shouldn't be preventing anyone who is HIV positive from realising the dreams they have in the military."

The MoD said: "Ministers are looking very closely at this issue and the Minister for the Armed Forces recently commissioned a review into HIV policies relating to aircrew."