Proposal Would Require Airlines to Provide O2

Washington

A rule proposed by the Department of Transportation would require U.S. and foreign airlines operating to and from the United States to provide supplemental oxygen free of charge to patients in need. The proposed rule, published in the Sept. 7 Federal Register, would modify the Air Carrier Access Act of 1986, which prohibits discrimination in airline service on the basis of disability and would apply to all passenger carriers operating at least one aircraft with more than 60 seats.

“Passengers who use oxygen deserve the same access to our air transportation system as do travelers with other disabilities or medical conditions,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta. “This rulemaking continues our effort to ensure that Americans with disabilities are treated fairly when they travel by air.”

Currently, airlines are not required to provide oxygen to passengers; some major carriers do not. Those that provide it usually charge a fee that can be prohibitively expensive, according to the DOT. One study the agency cited said the costs for supplied oxygen can range between $64 and $1,500 per trip.

A recent rule by the Federal Aviation Administration permits airlines to allow patients to take certain portable oxygen concentrators — Goleta, Calif.-based Inogen’s Inogen One and Buffalo, N.Y.-based AirSep’s Lifestyle — on board, but the airlines are not required to do so.

The DOT proposal also would require airlines to test ventilators, respirators, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) devices and certain portable oxygen concentrators to make sure they do not cause electromagnetic interference with aircraft navigation and communications. Passengers would be allowed to use these devices if it is found they can be safely operated on board.

The DOT will accept public comments through Nov. 7 at http://dms.dot.gov.