‘Declared unfit for pilot licence’ says trans person; DGCA denies accusation

A transgender person accused the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) of declaring them unfit for a commercial pilot licence citing medical reasons owing to hormone therapy. However, sources at the aviation regulatory body said the person was issued a medical fitness certificate.

Adam Harry, a native of Thrissur district in Kerala, alleged that the DGCA denied him medical fitness as Harry was undergoing hormone therapy. Hence, he was forced to eke out a living by working as a delivery person.

Harry made headlines previously as well when the Kerala government's social welfare department offered to financially support his commercial pilot licence training at the Rajiv Gandhi Academy for Aviation Technology (RGAAT) here. The financial aid was a part of the department’s support programmes for transgender people.

Harry was also set to become the first transgender person to get a commercial pilot licence in the country.

Harry, who was designated a female at birth, identifies himself as a man. Owing to the physiological changes, Harry started taking cross-sex hormone therapy.

Harry told DH that he got his private pilot licence from South Africa without any issue. But after enrolling for commercial pilot training at the RGAAT in 2020, he faced challenges as the DGCA’s medical examination found him temporarily unfit, Harry said, adding that he would take legal action against it.

However, a senior official of the DGCA told DH that a fitness certificate with a two-year validity was issued to the person in August 2020. The temporary certificate, declaring unfit, was issued prior to that. After subsequent scrutiny and discussions, the fitness certificate was issued.

The DGCA official, who did not want to be named, clarified that the certificate was issued in the name found in Class 10 public records, which was that of a female, as there was no proof of name change.

The official also said that since it was the first such application—from a transgender person—it took some time to finalise, and now “transgender” was also included as a “gender” to apply for a pilot licence.

Harry said that the fitness certificate was issued on the condition that he should not undergo hormone therapy. Doctors, however, had advised him that the transition won’t be complete without undergoing the hormone therapy, thus he continued with it.