Proposed rule · 2026-19584

Flight Operations: Pilot requirements; Use of oxygen

FAA proposes to raise the altitudes at which a pilot is required to don an oxygen mask for commuter and on demand operations, as directed by the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, and revise the pilot oxygen mask requirements applicable to general aviation operations in pressurized aircraft. The proposed amendments would allow the operation of airplanes at higher altitudes without requiring at least one pilot at the controls to wear and use an oxygen mask. If adopted, these proposed changes would reduce regulatory and economic burdens on operators by changing certain requirements pertaining to pilots' use of oxygen masks.