U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and U.S. Representative Ro Khanna (D-CA-17) today urged the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to require that more U.S.-based airlines as well as regional air carriers—and all cargo operators—include epinephrine auto-injectors in their onboard emergency medical kits (EMKs). In a letter, Duckworth and Khanna sent this week after the FAA shared the Aerospace Medical Association (AsMA) recommendations for EMKs in an Information for Operators (InFO) shared with carriers that have been certified under 14 CFR Part 121, the members commend this first step by FAA and also called on the agency to move forward and modernize the required content list for onboard EMKs to include epinephrine auto-injectors as well.
“Traveling with severe allergies can be difficult but, without access to proper medication, it can also be deadly,” said Duckworth “It is imperative that the FAA act quickly to ensure the safety of passengers with severe allergies by including epinephrine auto-injectors in EMKs.”
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“The stress, fear and panic that millions of food allergy families endure is unimaginable, particularly when they are up in the air without normal access to emergency equipment,” said Khanna. “I’m proud to work with Senator Duckworth to request the Federal Aviation Administration recognize the wide-spread need to equip passenger airline medical kits with epinephrine autoinjectors. This is a simple step that will undoubtedly save lives for countless travelers.”
“The worst place for a life-threatening allergy attack or reaction to strike is midflight, tens of thousands of feet up in the air,” Schumer said. “Ensuring that all aircraft are stocked with epinephrine auto-injectors could be a true lifesaver. To keep the traveling public safe in the air, the FAA must act quickly to require epinephrine auto-injectors in onboard emergency medical kits."
Duckworth is the Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce, Science & Transportation Subcommittee on Transportation and Safety, where she has been a strong advocate for aviation safety. Last year, Duckworth and U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) called on the airline industry to reverse its efforts to prevent airplanes from being required to carry life-saving medications, such as Epinephrine auto-injectors, in onboard emergency medical kits.
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