Surrender of international crewmember certificate

When a crewmember holds an international crewmember certificate issued under this regulation and their employment with an air carrier ends, the certificate must be returned to the FAA for cancellation. Either the crewmember or the airline can surrender it to the responsible Flight Standards office.

This matters because international crewmember certificates are tied to specific employment with a particular air carrier operating under Part 121. Unlike standard pilot certificates that remain valid regardless of employment status, these certificates are only valid while actively employed by the issuing carrier. The surrender requirement ensures the FAA maintains accurate records of who holds valid international crewmember credentials and prevents former employees from inappropriately using certificates linked to their previous employer. If you change airlines, you'll need a new certificate issued through your new employer rather than transferring the old one.

*This is a plain-English summary for study only. The official 14 CFR text on this page is controlling — always read the current regulation and consult a CFI.*