204 

14 CFR Ch. I (1–1–19 Edition) 

§ 121.574 

§ 121.574

Oxygen and portable oxygen 

concentrators for medical use by 
passengers. 

(a) A certificate holder may allow a 

passenger to carry and operate equip-
ment for the storage, generation, or 
dispensing of oxygen when all of the 
conditions in paragraphs (a) through 
(d) of this section are satisfied. Begin-
ning August 22, 2016, a certificate hold-
er may allow a passenger to carry and 
operate a portable oxygen concentrator 
when the conditions in paragraphs (b) 
and (e) of this section are satisfied. 

(1) The equipment is— 
(i) Furnished by the certificate hold-

er; 

(ii) Of an approved type or is in con-

formity with the manufacturing, pack-
aging, marking, labeling, and mainte-
nance requirements of 49 CFR parts 
171, 172, and 173, except § 173.24(a)(1); 

(iii) Maintained by the certificate 

holder in accordance with an approved 
maintenance program; 

(iv) Free of flammable contaminants 

on all exterior surfaces; 

(v) Capable of providing a minimum 

mass flow of oxygen to the user of four 
liters per minute; 

(vi) Constructed so that all valves, 

fittings, and gauges are protected from 
damage; and 

(vii) Appropriately secured. 
(2) When the oxygen is stored in the 

form of a liquid, the equipment has 
been under the certificate holder’s ap-
proved maintenance program since its 
purchase new or since the storage con-
tainer was last purged. 

(3) When the oxygen is stored in the 

form of a compressed gas as defined in 
49 CFR 173.115(b)— 

(i) The equipment has been under the 

certificate holder’s approved mainte-
nance program since its purchase new 
or since the last hydrostatic test of the 
storage cylinder; and 

(ii) The pressure in any oxygen cyl-

inder does not exceed the rated cyl-
inder pressure. 

(4) Each person using the equipment 

has a medical need to use it evidenced 
by a written statement to be kept in 
that person’s possession, signed by a li-
censed physician which specifies the 
maximum quantity of oxygen needed 
each hour and the maximum flow rate 
needed for the pressure altitude cor-

responding to the pressure in the cabin 
of the airplane under normal operating 
conditions. This paragraph does not 
apply to the carriage of oxygen in an 
airplane in which the only passengers 
carried are persons who may have a 
medical need for oxygen during flight, 
no more than one relative or other in-
terested person for each of those per-
sons, and medical attendants. 

(5) When a physician’s statement is 

required by paragraph (a)(4) of this sec-
tion, the total quantity of oxygen car-
ried is equal to the maximum quantity 
of oxygen needed each hour, as speci-
fied in the physician’s statement, mul-
tiplied by the number of hours used to 
compute the amount of airplane fuel 
required by this part. 

(6) The pilot in command is advised 

when the equipment is on board, and 
when it is intended to be used. 

(7) The equipment is stowed, and 

each person using the equipment is 
seated, so as not to restrict access to 
or use of any required emergency, or 
regular exit or of the aisle in the pas-
senger compartment. 

(b) No person may smoke or create 

an open flame and no certificate holder 
may allow any person to smoke or cre-
ate an open flame within 10 feet of oxy-
gen storage and dispensing equipment 
carried in accordance with paragraph 
(a) of this section or a portable oxygen 
concentrator carried and operated in 
accordance with paragraph (e) of this 
section. 

(c) No certificate holder may allow 

any person to connect or disconnect 
oxygen dispensing equipment, to or 
from a gaseous oxygen cylinder while 
any passenger is aboard the airplane. 

(d) The requirements of this section 

do not apply to the carriage of supple-
mental or first-aid oxygen and related 
equipment required by this chapter. 

(e) 

Portable oxygen concentrators

—(1) 

Acceptance criteria. 

A passenger may 

carry or operate a portable oxygen con-
centrator 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 port-
able oxygen concentrator satisfies all 
of the requirements in this paragraph 
(e): 

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