Postgraduate course in
Airline Medicine for Aviation, Safety, Public Health and Other Professionals 

Rui Pombal has worked in aviation medicine for over twenty years - he is medical director of the UCS – TAP Air Portugal Group Health Services Aeromedical Centre in Lisbon, Portugal, and more recently has taken on the role of Medical Advisor to IATA. He is a certified EASA and FAA medical examiner. Rui holds a Master’s degree in Aviation Medicine by the University of Otago, and has a particular interest in travel medicine and in the safety of medicines. He is a member of the International Society of Travel Medicine and a founding member of the Portuguese eponymous Society; hei has been medical assessor / clinical expert in pharmacovigilance for the Portuguese Medicines Agency for a number of years, also acting as editor for the agency’s Pharmacovigilance Bulletin. An International Academy of Aviation and Space Medicine (IAASM) Academician, Rui currently teaches in both a pre-graduate medicine programme in Portugal, and in post-graduate aviation medicine programmes across Europe. He has chaired and contributed to numerous international training events, scientific meetings and committees. He has published articles and book chapters in aviation/aerospace/travel medicine and has been peer reviewer for a major aerospace medicine journal. Rui is Past President of IAMA, the International Airline Medical Association; former Chair of the Aerospace Medical Association’s Air Transport Medicine Committee; and Founding President of the Portuguese Aerospace Medicine Society. In 2021, he received the IAMA George J. Kidera Award in recognition of outstanding contribution to the field of aviation medicine. He currently serves as Vice-President of ESAM, the European Society of Aerospace Medicine.

David is a specialist in occupational and aviation medicine who has worked in the aviation industry his entire medical career, pursuing a love of flying. He spent 8 years as a medical officer in the Royal New Zealand Air Force, periods of time in air ambulance work and anaesthesiology, 12 years as Chief Medical Officer of Air New Zealand, several years in consulting with different airlines, and 3 years as Group Medical Officer for Virgin Australia Airlines. More recently he was the global medical advisor to IATA (the international Airlines body) from 2018 until 2023. He has over 20 years experience teaching aviation medicine with the University of Otago. Currently he consults to various aviation organisations in Australasia and beyond. Still flying, David has comercial licences for both helicopter and aeroplane.