When must passengers be provided with supplemental oxygen above?

For best protection, you are encouraged to use supplemental oxygen above 10,000 feet MSL. At night, because vision is particularly sensitive to diminished oxygen, a prudent rule is to use supplemental oxygen when flying above 6,000 feet MSL. So, when you fly at high altitudes, supplemental oxygen is the only solution.



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Sea Level to 12,500' - No oxygen required. 12,501' to 14,000' - Required by the required crew if over 30 minutes at this altitude. 14,001' to 15,000' - Required to be provided and used by the required flight crew. 15,001' to 25,000' - Must be provided for every occupant.

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(ii) Above 15,000 feet MSL, oxygen to each occupant of the aircraft, other than the pilots, for one hour unless, at all times during flight above that altitude, the aircraft can safely descend to 15,000 feet MSL within four minutes, in which case only a 30-minute supply is required.

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For optimum protection, pilots are encouraged to use supplemental oxygen above 10,000 feet during the day, and above 5,000 feet at night.

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For Part 91 General Aviation operations the required flight crew must use supplemental oxygen for any portion of the flight that exceeds 30 minutes above a cabin pressure altitude of 12,500 feet mean sea level (MSL) up to and including 14,000 feet (MSL).

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The only oxygen equipment allowed on an airplane is the portable oxygen concentrator (POC). If you need oxygen in flight, you must take a portable oxygen concentrator with you, and , you must let your airline know ahead of time. They may require a doctor's letter to verify the need for the POC on the plane.

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On most pressurized aircraft, if cabin pressurization is lost when the aircraft is flying at an altitude above 4,267 m (14,000 feet), compartments containing the oxygen masks will open automatically, either above or in front of the passenger and crew seats, and the oxygen masks will drop down in front of the passenger.

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To avoid that, airliners don't try to duplicate the air pressure at sea level. Instead, at a cruising altitude of 36,000 feet (10,973 meters), most commercial jets simulate the air pressure at an elevation of 8,000 feet (2,438 meters), about the same as Aspen, Colorado.

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(1) For flights at cabin pressure altitudes above 10,000 feet, up to and including 14,000 feet, enough oxygen for that part of the flight at those altitudes that is of more than 30 minutes duration, for 10 percent of the passengers.

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For best protection, you are encouraged to use supplemental oxygen above 10,000 feet MSL. At night, because vision is particularly sensitive to diminished oxygen, a prudent rule is to use supplemental oxygen when flying above 6,000 feet MSL. So, when you fly at high altitudes, supplemental oxygen is the only solution.

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Airlines are not required to provide oxygen service and many do not. Passengers may carry portable oxygen concentrators (POCs).

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Cabin Oxygen System Each container has an electrical latching mechanism that opens automatically to allow the masks to drop, if the cabin pressure altitude exceeds 14,000 ft (+250, -750 ft). Chemical generators produce the oxygen.

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Current FAA regulations require that the cabin pressure altitude on transport category airplanes remain at or below 8,000 feet in normal operating conditions, and that supplemental oxygen be automatically presented to passengers before the cabin pressure altitude reaches 15,000 feet.

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A simple pulse oximeter reading while you are at high altitude, at rest and during activity, can determine if oxygen is needed at altitude. Alternatively, some pulmonary function labs can perform an altitude simulation test to determine your oxygen saturation at altitude.

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For most passengers, even those with respiratory disease, air travel is safe and comfortable. Some patients with COPD may be at risk but, with screening, these patients can be identified and most can travel safely with supplemental oxygen.

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You may bring personal medical oxygen cylinders through the screening checkpoint and into the gate area. However, personal medical oxygen cylinders are not permitted in the aircraft cabin as they are considered hazardous materials by the Federal Aviation Administration.

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