Oxygen Concentrators For Air Travel

Air travel is now much easier for people who need extra oxygen as they can now carry oxygen concentrators approved for air travel by the FAA. This has meant that all the hazzles previously created by the airlines have been reduced for patients on oxygen therapy.

Oxygen Concentrators for Air Travel:

A growing number of patients that need portable medical oxygen have chosen to use portable Oxygen Concentrators for Air Travel that extract oxygen from the surrounding air because of the increased mobility these units are providing.

One of the areas that used to cause a lot of problems to oxygen dependent patients was when traveling and perhaps the toughest one was air travel. This has changed drastically in recent years as the FAA has authorized various models of portable oxygen concentrators to be carried and used on board by patients.

This means that all airlines that pass over US air space must comply these regulations.

Oxygen for travel is now a much simpler process: - on the one hand airlines now allow you to bring your portable concentrator (as long as it is FAA approved) and at the same time these units can be taken on trains, buses, ships and cars.

One of the great advantages of these portable oxygen concentrators, aside from their weight and size, is that they deliver oxygen to the patient for a much longer period of time (being electrically powered and not limited to the amount of oxygen they are storing).

Portable, rechargeable batteries are a standard part every portable concentrator package, and you can easily obtain an additional battery as a safeguard and even longer continuous use.

Air Travel Oxygen Concentrators Authorized By The FAA

The list of FAA authorized air travel oxygen concentrators now total 11, including the latest 4 that were announced in January 2010, are:

The latest 4:

• DeVilbiss Healthcare’s iGo portable oxygen concentrator 
• International Biophysics Corporation’s LifeChoice portable oxygen concentrator 
• Inogen’s Inogen One G2 portable oxygen concentrator 
• Oxlife’s Independence Oxygen Concentrator portable oxygen concentrator 

Previously authorized portable oxygen concentrators:

• Delphi Medical Systems RS-00400 
• Invacare XPO2 
• AirSep Lifestyle 
• AirSep Freestyle 
• Inogen One 
• SeQual Eclipse 
• Respironics EverGo 

The Department of Transportation requires that U.S. carriers allow passengers to use portable oxygen concentrators approved by the FAA during all phases of a flight – including taxiing, takeoff and landing – if the unit displays a manufacturer’s label that indicates it meets FAA requirements for portable medical electronic devices, is properly stowed, and meets certain other applicable safety-related conditions.

If a passenger is carrying an FAA approved portable oxygen concentrator that does not have the manufacturers label indicating it is authorized, the airline can forbid its use during flight - but both the FAA and airlines are looking to make it easier for patients who need additional oxygen.

For your own piece of mind always seek advice from your airline when making your reservations and refer to the fact that you use oxygen concentrators for air travel.