The Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA, has ruled that all passengers who require oxygen must be allowed to bring FAA-approved portable oxygen concentrators on all U.S. aircraft with more than 19 seats.
Foreign airlines must also allow portable oxygen concentrators on all flights to and from U.S soil.
This ruling means that if you need oxygen therapy, you still have the freedom to travel wherever you would like.
The FAA approved these portable oxygen concentrators for use:
- AirSep FreeStyle
- AirSep LifeStyle
- AirSep Focus
- AirSep FreeStyle 5
- Delphi RS-00400
- DeVilbiss Healthcare iGo
- Inogen One
- Inogen One G2
- Inogen One G3
- Inova Labs LifeChoice
- Inova Labs LifeChoice Activox
- International Biophysics LifeChoice
- Invacare XPO
- Invacare Solo2
- Oxlife Independence Oxygen Concentrator
- Oxus RS-00400
- Precision Medical EasyPulse
- Respironics EverGo
- Respironics Simply Go
- SeQual Eclipse
- SeQual SAROS
Now, there’s more good news for airline passengers who need to use portable oxygen. The Federal Aviation Administration has approved three more portable oxygen concentrator models for use aboard airplanes, bringing the total number of approved units to 23.
are portable oxygen concentrators allowed on airplanes?
Portable oxygen concentrators are small, portable devices that separate oxygen from nitrogen and other gases in the air and provide oxygen to users at greater than 90 percent concentration.
They do not use compressed or liquid oxygen, which the government classifies as hazardous materials and does not allow in airline passenger cabins.
FAA approved portable oxygen concentrator
The Department of Transportation requires that U.S. airlines and foreign air carriers flying into the United States allow passengers to use portable oxygen concentrators approved by the FAA during all phases of a flight if the unit displays a manufacturer’s label that indicates it meets FAA requirements for portable medical electronic devices.
The Department strongly encourages airlines to voluntarily allow the inflight use of oxygen concentrators even if not labeled as FAA-approved because they pose no safety danger.
How to travel with oxygen on a plane?
Passengers must ensure the unit is in good working order and must be able to respond to the unit’s warning alarms.
They must protect extra batteries in carry-on baggage from short circuits and physical damage. The unit must be properly stowed when not in use.
Carriers also must let passengers operate these FAA-approved concentrators while moving about the cabin whenever the captain turns off the “Fasten Seat Belt” sign.
The FAA is pursuing performance-based standards that will apply to all oxygen concentrator manufacturers and models. The agency intends to publish a notice in the Federal Register and offer the public a chance to comment on the proposal when it is complete.
Per the Federal Aviation Administration, certain portable oxygen concentrators are permitted onboard the aircraft, including Inogen One, Sequal Eclipse, Airsep Lifestyle. See a list of Portable Oxygen Concentrators that meet FAA specifications for inflight use.
The only oxygen equipment allowed on an airplane is the portable oxygen concentrator (POC). If you need oxygen in flight, you must take a portable oxygen concentrator with you, and, you must let your airline know ahead of time. They may require a doctor’s letter to verify the need for the POC on the plane.
What is a Portable Oxygen concentrator?
A portable oxygen concentrator is a medical device that helps deliver oxygen therapy to people who have low levels of oxygen in their blood.
Smallest Portable Oxygen concentrator
The AirSep Focus is an extremely lightweight portable concentrator and doesn’t require refilling it with oxygen.