FAA Orders Airlines to Put Emergency Oxygen Back in Plane Bathrooms

Airliner Bathroom

The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) is ordering airlines to put emergency oxygen systems back in airplane lavatories.

‘The FAA said at the time that the decision to remove them was made in conjunction with the Transportation Security Administration and the FBI as a precautionary measure unrelated to a specific terrorist threat.’

The airlines will have 2 to 4 years to put the oxygen back in as they develop a safe and secure system.

‘Safety advocates and flight attendants say passengers, attendants and pilots using a lavatory could be seriously harmed or killed if there is an aircraft decompression and emergency oxygen is needed immediately at a high altitude.’

Passenger-rights advocate Kate Hanni says “it’s about time” the FAA ordered emergency oxygen systems back into lavatories. She says studies show that at an altitude of 40,000 feet, passengers can lose consciousness without adequate oxygen in 15-20 seconds.

“We are relieved that the airlines will be correcting the failure to protect the public while using a lavatory at 33,000 feet but are left wondering why the FAA did not order oxygen replaced sooner,” Hanni says.

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