CASA EX21/05 - Exemption - Seat belts

What this does:

This document is an official exemption that allows certain medical patients to fly without wearing a seat belt during emergency medical flights.

Who it affects:

• Patients being transported by air ambulance or emergency medical aircraft who have a medical condition where wearing a seat belt would actually harm them rather than help them.
• Medical/nursing staff who make the call about whether a seat belt is unsafe for that specific patient.
• Pilots who must still ensure the patient is restrained in some other safe way.

Why it matters:

Normally, all aircraft passengers must wear seat belts during flight — it's a strict safety rule. But this exemption recognises that in emergency medical situations, strapping a patient down might worsen their injuries (for example, if they have severe chest trauma, spinal injuries, or need constant medical access).

The exemption creates a legal loophole with safeguards:

• A qualified medical professional must decide the seat belt is harmful
• The pilot still has final say on how to keep the patient safe
• It only applies to emergency medical flights, not regular commercial travel

Without this exemption, air ambulance crews would technically be breaking the law every time they transported a critically injured patient who couldn't safely wear a standard seat belt.