WASHINGTON--Oxygen patients soon will be allowed to take certain portable oxygen concentrators aboard commercial aircraft, under a final rule issued by the Federal Aviation Administration last week. The new rule takes effect Aug. 11--more than a year after its proposal--but is not expected to be fully implemented until January 2006, according to the July 12 Federal Register.
For now, two portable concentrators have been approved by the FAA for air travel: Goleta, Calif.-based Inogen's Inogen One and Buffalo, N.Y.-based AirSep's Lifestyle.
"This is something that has been long overdue," said Vernon Pertelle, corporate director of respiratory/HME services for Apria Healthcare, Lake Forest, Calif., one of the nation's largest respiratory providers. "It's a great thing for patients because it will certainly give them more flexibility to travel without having to wait for delivery and pickup, and it's going to eliminate the need to pay for oxygen on the plane. It also gives them more choices when deciding what airline they want to fly on."
Under current standards, patients who require oxygen are limited to flying airlines that provide oxygen, and the extra cost for this service can equal the price of a plane ticket. There also are concerns for passengers on oxygen in getting through airport security, and issues with where to get oxygen if there are flight delays or layovers.
Although the new rule will not require airlines to allow these devices onboard, Pertelle said he feels it is unlikely that any major airline would turn patients away. Patients also are required to bring a physician's note stating the need for oxygen, and enough batteries to power the unit if there are significant delays.
"All in all [the FAA] did a great service for patients, the airlines and home care companies by allowing patients to bring their own equipment on board the aircraft. This is going to be a great advancement," said AirSep President and COO Joe Priest. "I think it will drastically improve access for people traveling with oxygen and eliminate a lot of logistic nightmares."
Inogen CEO Kathy Odell hailed the FAA rule as "a great day for oxygen users" in a company statement. "Devices like the Inogen One have undergone extensive testing to ensure they do not interfere with aircraft procedures during takeoff, in the air or at landing, nor should their operation disrupt other passengers. What they do is provide worry-free travel for oxygen patients."
The news also should reduce headaches for providers, who can spend hours making airport deliveries to patients. "Right now it's really a pain for a provider to deliver oxygen to the airport," Pertelle said. "They can't park or stop. They have to wait and go through the screening process. It's very time-consuming."
One criticism of the new rule is that it only includes specific products, Pertelle said. "The technology should be the focus, not the manufacturer or brand," he pointed out. "If for some reason there is a recall, only limiting it to two poses a very big problem."
According to the FAA, the reasoning behind naming specific products is that the agency "cannot predict how future products may be developed and work," the rule stated. "Accordingly, while we are committed to developing a performance-based standard for all future [portable oxygen concentrator] devices, we do not want to prematurely develop standards that have the effect of stifling new technology of which we are unaware."
To view the final rule, click here
