Key facts
- Lawmakers want FAA to keep rule requiring epinephrine on all US flights.
- The FAA proposed allowing airlines flexibility in emergency medical kit requirements.
- Lawmakers cited rising food allergies and potential for multiple passengers needing epinephrine.
- An FAA working group previously recommended auto-delivery devices for epinephrine.
Democratic lawmakers have urged the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to maintain a rule requiring all US airlines to carry epinephrine on board flights for medical emergencies, particularly severe allergic reactions. The lawmakers, including Senators Tammy Duckworth, Chuck Schumer, Cory Booker, Richard Blumenthal, and Tammy Baldwin, along with Representative Doris Matsui and over a dozen others, sent a letter to the FAA on Monday.
They emphasized the urgency given the presence of unlabeled allergens in food items on flights, a rise in childhood food allergies, an increase in tick-borne illnesses that can cause life-threatening allergies, and the possibility of multiple passengers requiring epinephrine during a single flight. The FAA had previously proposed in August to offer airlines more flexibility regarding emergency medical kits, moving away from a specific checklist of items towards performance-based standards for managing nine life-threatening conditions.
The lawmakers pointed out that an FAA working group in 2025 had recommended requiring a "pre-measured auto-delivery device" for epinephrine, contrasting with the agency's current proposal. Several airlines are already stocking epinephrine auto-injectors, with JetBlue Airways, Southwest, Frontier, and Breeze Airways including them in their kits. American Airlines offers both adult and pediatric doses, while Delta Air Lines is transitioning its fleet to include auto-injectors by September 2027. United Airlines and Allegiant Air are also beginning the process this year.
The American Medical Association has also expressed concerns, warning the FAA that allowing individual airlines to decide their medical supplies could jeopardize passenger safety during in-flight emergencies, specifically mentioning epinephrine and certain diagnostic tools.