FAA Proposes Ditching 64-Item Medical Kit Checklist, Letting Airlines Cover 9 Emergencies

The FAA is proposing to overhaul airline emergency medical kits by replacing a fixed 64-item checklist with a performance-based standard covering nine specific in-flight emergencies. The change follows Duke University research analyzing 77,000 in-flight medical emergency events, finding that fewer than 10% of flights with midair emergencies required medical attention on the ground. Most in-flight first aid involved cuts and bruises. Under the proposal, airlines would still be required to carry an automated external defibrillator, but would gain flexibility to source needed supplies as long as crews can respond to cardiac emergencies, breathing issues, opioid overdoses, severe allergies, major bleeding, seizures, hypoglycemia, gastrointestinal emergencies, and childbirth.