Democratic lawmakers urge FAA to retain mandatory epinephrine on U.S. flights

A group of Democratic senators and representatives, including Tammy Duckworth and Chuck Schumer, asked the FAA to keep mandatory epinephrine on U.S. aircraft.

The FAA had earlier proposed giving airlines more flexibility on medical emergency equipment by removing the medical items checklist and using performance‑based standards for nine life‑threatening conditions, but a 2025 FAA working group recommended prescribing a pre‑dosed automatic epinephrine delivery device, contrary to that proposal, and the American Medical Association warned that allowing airlines to set their own equipment could endanger passenger safety.

JetBlue, Southwest, Frontier, Breeze Airways and American Airlines already include epinephrine auto‑injectors in their emergency kits, and Delta Air Lines plans to equip its fleet with auto‑injectors by September 2027.