Democratic lawmakers urged the FAA not to relax the requirement for airlines to carry epinephrine on flights. The FAA proposed giving airlines flexibility in emergency medical kit requirements, and said it will consider comments before finalizing regulations.
A group of Democratic lawmakers urged the FAA not to relax the requirement that U.S. airlines keep epinephrine on board for medical emergencies, especially severe allergic reactions. Their letter said every aircraft should have multiple doses in devices that people without medical training can easily use.
The FAA proposed in August dropping a checklist of medical items and setting performance-based standards requiring carriers to have sufficient resources for nine life-threatening conditions. The agency said it will consider applicable comments before finalizing regulations. An FAA working group in 2025 recommended requiring a pre-measured epinephrine auto-delivery device.
The letter said JetBlue, Southwest, Frontier and Breeze stock epinephrine auto-injectors, while American carries adult- and pediatric-dose devices. Delta is transitioning its fleet to include auto-injectors by September 2027; United and Allegiant will begin work this year to include them. The American Medical Association told the FAA that allowing airlines to determine their own medical supplies could compromise passenger safety.
