(a) Except as provided in paragraphs (d) and (e) of this section, no certificate holder may allow the carriage or operation of equipment for the storage, generation or dispensing of medical oxygen unless the conditions in paragraphs (a) through (c) of this section are satisfied. Beginning August 22, 2016, a certificate holder may allow a passenger to carry and operate a portable oxygen concentrator when the conditions in paragraphs (b) and (f) of this section are satisfied.
(1) The equipment must be -
(i) Of an approved type or in conformity with the manufacturing, packaging, marking, labeling, and maintenance requirements of title 49 CFR parts 171, 172, and 173, except § 173.24(a)(1);
(ii) When owned by the certificate holder, maintained under the certificate holder's approved maintenance program;
(iii) Free of flammable contaminants on all exterior surfaces;
(iv) Constructed so that all valves, fittings, and gauges are protected from damage during carriage or operation; and
(v) Appropriately secured.
(2) When the oxygen is stored in the form of a liquid, the equipment must have been under the certificate holder's approved maintenance program since its purchase new or since the storage container was last purged.
(3) When the oxygen is stored in the form of a compressed gas as defined in title 49 CFR 173.115(b) -
(i) When owned by the certificate holder, it must be maintained under its approved maintenance program; and
(ii) The pressure in any oxygen cylinder must not exceed the rated cylinder pressure.
(4) The pilot in command must be advised when the equipment is on board, and when it is intended to be used.
(5) The equipment must be stowed, and each person using the equipment must be seated, so as not to restrict access to or use of any required emergency or regular exit, or of the aisle in the passenger compartment.
(b) No person may smoke or create an open flame and no certificate holder may allow any person to smoke or create an open flame within 10 feet of oxygen storage and dispensing equipment carried under paragraph (a) of this section or a portable oxygen concentrator carried and operated under paragraph (f) of this section.
(c) No certificate holder may allow any person other than a person trained in the use of medical oxygen equipment to connect or disconnect oxygen bottles or any other ancillary component while any passenger is aboard the aircraft.
(d) Paragraph (a)(1)(i) of this section does not apply when that equipment is furnished by a professional or medical emergency service for use on board an aircraft in a medical emergency when no other practical means of transportation (including any other properly equipped certificate holder) is reasonably available and the person carried under the medical emergency is accompanied by a person trained in the use of medical oxygen.
(e) Each certificate holder who, under the authority of paragraph (d) of this section, deviates from paragraph (a)(1)(i) of this section under a medical emergency shall, within 10 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays, after the deviation, send to the responsible Flight Standards office a complete report of the operation involved, including a description of the deviation and the reasons for it.
(f) Portable oxygen concentrators -
(1) Acceptance criteria. A passenger may carry or operate a portable oxygen concentrator for personal use on board an aircraft and a certificate holder may allow a passenger to carry or operate a portable oxygen concentrator on board an aircraft operated under this part during all phases of flight if the portable oxygen concentrator satisfies all of the requirements of this paragraph (f):
(i) Is legally marketed in the United States in accordance with Food and Drug Administration requirements in title 21 of the CFR;
(ii) Does not radiate radio frequency emissions that interfere with aircraft systems;
(iii) Generates a maximum oxygen pressure of less than 200 kPa gauge (29.0 psig/43.8 psia) at 20 °C (68 °F);
(iv) Does not contain any hazardous materials subject to the Hazardous Materials Regulations (49 CFR parts 171 through 180) except as provided in 49 CFR 175.10 for batteries used to power portable electronic devices and that do not require aircraft operator approval; and
(v) Bears a label on the exterior of the device applied in a manner that ensures the label will remain affixed for the life of the device and containing the following certification statement in red lettering: “The manufacturer of this POC has determined this device conforms to all applicable FAA acceptance criteria for POC carriage and use on board aircraft.” The label requirements in this paragraph (f)(1)(v) do not apply to the following portable oxygen concentrators approved by the FAA for use on board aircraft prior to May 24, 2016:
(A) AirSep Focus;
(B) AirSep FreeStyle;
(C) AirSep FreeStyle 5;
(D) AirSep LifeStyle;
(E) Delphi RS-00400;
(F) DeVilbiss Healthcare iGo;
(G) Inogen One;
(H) Inogen One G2;
(I) Inogen One G3;
(J) Inova Labs LifeChoice;
(K) Inova Labs LifeChoice Activox;
(L) International Biophysics LifeChoice;
(M) Invacare Solo2;
(N) Invacare XPO2;
(O) Oxlife Independence Oxygen Concentrator;
(P) Oxus RS-00400;
(Q) Precision Medical EasyPulse;
(R) Respironics EverGo;
(S) Respironics SimplyGo;
(T) SeQual Eclipse;
(U) SeQual eQuinox Oxygen System (model 4000);
(V) SeQual Oxywell Oxygen System (model 4000);
(W) SeQual SAROS; and
(X) VBox Trooper Oxygen Concentrator.
(2) Operating requirements. Portable oxygen concentrators that satisfy the acceptance criteria identified in paragraph (f)(1) of this section may be carried on or operated by a passenger on board an aircraft provided the aircraft operator ensures that all of the conditions in this paragraph (f)(2) are satisfied:
(i) Exit seats. No person operating a portable oxygen concentrator is permitted to occupy an exit seat.
(ii) Stowage of device. During movement on the surface, takeoff and landing, the device must be stowed under the seat in front of the user, or in another approved stowage location so that it does not block the aisle way or the entryway to the row. If the device is to be operated by the user, it must be operated only at a seat location that does not restrict any passenger's access to, or use of, any required emergency or regular exit, or the aisle(s) in the passenger compartment.
[Doc. No. 16097, 43 FR 46783, Oct. 10, 1978, as amended by Amdt. 135-60, 61 FR 2616, Jan. 26, 1996; Docket FAA-2014-0554, Amdt. 135-133, 81 FR 33119, May 24, 2016; Docket FAA-2018-0119, Amdt. 135-139, 83 FR 9175, Mar. 5, 2018]