Another Hike in IAA Licence Fees

In less than a year, IAA licence holders are facing another hike in fees that will come into force on 1^st January 2025. The last fees schedule update, which came into effect on 1^st February 2024, resulted in a significant increase in fees across the board and the introduction of some new fees not previously charged.

On average fees are increasing by about 6.5%, significantly above the 1% inflation rate reported for Ireland in November (the latest month for which figures are available). The hardest hit will be instructors and examiners who will need to pay the revalidation/renewal fee every three years as the IAA does not permit instructor certificates to be endorsed by examiners in the field. Where the IAA will now charge €758 to revalidate a TRI Certificate, the UK CAA charges £0 as the licence entry can be made by the examiner conducting the Assessment of Competence.

In Malta, for example, you can be issued with an EASA PPL for €116.47 compared to €320 for an Irish one. Instructor certificates also cost €116.47 in Malta compared to an FI at €320 or a TRI at €758 in Ireland. The €116.47 in Malta is a once-off payment for Instructor certificates as Examiners can be permitted to endorse the licence in the field.

Even when compared to high cost countries such as Denmark and Sweden, IAA fees are significantly higher. In Denmark a PPL will cost DKK665 (~€89) and an Instructor Certificate costs DKK400 (~€53). In Sweden, a PPL will cost SEK600 (~€52) and an ATPL, including the associated type rating, will cost SEK2,040 (~€177).

A brief overview of the main increases can be found in the table below. You can read the full fees schedule on the IAA website here.