Today, Congress made great strides toward keeping children safe during air travel. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization, on its way to the president for signature into law, includes the bipartisan Airplane Kids in Transit Safety (KiTS) Act, a long-time priority of the AAP.

Currently, the emergency medical kits on airplanes are not designed with children's needs in mind—they lack the right medications in an appropriate dose and formulation and the equipment is too large to fit a child. The Airplane KiTS Act addresses that problem by requiring the FAA to review and update the contents of the emergency medical kits on planes, which is something that hasn’t been done in almost 20 years. Families will soon be able to rest a little easier knowing that if their child experiences an in-flight emergency, like a seizure, asthma attack, or allergic reaction, the right drugs and equipment will be on board.

The American Academy of Pediatrics thanks Representatives Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY) and John Faso (R-NY) and Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) who championed the Airplane KiTS Act from beginning to end. Pediatricians stand ready to assist with the swift implementation of this critical legislation so that all families can have the peace of mind they deserve while traveling.