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US wants airlines to offer medical oxygen

Posted on: Wednesday, 7 September 2005, 12:44 CDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Big U.S. and foreign airlines operating to and from the United States would be required to provide medical oxygen to passengers who need it, according to a federal regulation proposed on Wednesday.

Airlines are not required to provide the service and many carriers opt not to do so, the Transportation Department said. Those that do provide respiratory devices generally charge a fee, which can be expensive. One study cited by the agency showed that supplemental oxygen can cost between $64 to $1,500 per trip.

Carriers would be required, under the proposal, to test various portable oxygen systems to ensure they do not interfere with aircraft navigation and communications.

Any system would have to meet Federal Aviation Administration standards, which limit oxygen use because of aircraft safety concerns.

But regulators said they receive numerous complaints about the lack of accommodations for passengers who need supplemental oxygen for a medical condition, and have identified a handful of systems that might meet safety standards.

While the government wants the service to be free, regulators said they will "carefully evaluate" the cost of the requirement on the industry.

Generally, carriers cannot charge passengers for disability-related services that enable equal access to air travel. While the government proposed to mandate the service, it sought public comment on whether it has the authority to order such a change under anti-discrimination laws.

The Transportation Department will accept public comments over the next 60 days and then decide whether to make the proposal permanent.

Source: REUTERS

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