FAA Proposes Oxygen Concentrator Use On Board Aircraft

Washington

The Federal Aviation Administration has proposed a regulation that could alleviate air travel headaches for those using portable oxygen concentrators. “The FAA has been made aware of the critical need for improved service to passengers who must travel with oxygen while on aircraft,” the agency stated in a proposal published in the Federal Register July 14.

The rule proposes use of Buffalo, N.Y.-based AirSep’s LifeStyle portable oxygen concentrator on planes because, at present, “this is the only device of this type the FAA has evaluated and determined to be safe.” The agency said it is continuing to evaluate Goleta, Calif.-based Inogen’s Inogen One, and that “other devices may be added … after the FAA has been satisfied that they can be safely used on board aircraft.”

“Under current standards, it’s very difficult for someone on oxygen to travel by plane. If there are delays or layovers, where do they get their oxygen? They have issues getting through security. If they can’t take it on board, what do they do?” questions Joe Priest, AirSep president and COO, adding that the FAA proposal regarding portable oxygen use “is dead-on in regard to the best solution for patients, the best solution for home care providers and the best solution for the airline industry.”

In addition to the proposed rule, the FAA said it will make an “independent determination whether the devices pose a hazard in aviation.”

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