By MARY “DUBBIE” BUCKLER
Guest Columnist
Earlier this year, as part of the deal to avoid a government shutdown, Congress delayed the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization, but neglected to include bipartisan language that will allow donated organs to again travel under the watch of the captain and crew once again.
The safe and efficient transportation of donated organs is vital to any Hoosier in need of a transplant, and as Congress crafts a long-term FAA bill in the coming weeks it should include existing bipartisan language that addresses the post-Sept. 11 practice of placing donated organs in the cargo bin.
Our Indiana delegation, especially Sen. Todd Young and Rep. Larry Bucshon, have done yeoman’s work in improving the nation’s organ donation and transplant network. If Congress allows donated organs to once again travel “above the wing,” it would be yet another win for patients and donors.
One of the reasons this is so important is that the technology used to preserve vital organs has progressed exponentially. Lungs, hearts, kidneys, and livers can now travel much farther to the patients in most need. Updating the rules to protect these gifts of life traveling by air is an essential first step to improve the transport of donor organs.
The role of the nation’s airlines cannot be overstated, and they will benefit from guidance from Congress so they can accomplish this critical job as seamlessly as possible. The rigid post-9/11 requirements that bar transplant professionals from taking a donor organ through security without an airline ticket and then to and from the plane not only relegates organs to cargo; they also and make logistical planning unnecessarily complicated.
There are no incentives or direction from the federal government for commercial airlines to improve processes around organ transportation. Additionally, depending on the airline, cargo lock-out times – the cut-off time for receiving shipments before the scheduled departure of an aircraft – are not consistent. If a newly procured organ from Texas needs to be in Indiana within hours to save a gravely ill patient, it might not be eligible for flight because it can’t satisfy cargo lock-out requirements.
A further complication is cargo office hours which vary between airlines and airports and are often plagued by staffing shortages.
Not every airline accepts cargo, which further limits the options to transport organs by air. This limitation disproportionately affects regional airports, serving less densely populated areas.
The carriers and the transplant professionals on the ground deserve much credit for what they have done over the years. Most organs arrive at their destination safely, but even one organ that misses a flight or is delayed due to logistical issues is one too many.
The policy reasoning behind putting organs below the wings unattended was always dubious. Before the 9/11 attacks, organs were shepherded through airport security by an organ donation professional and brought to the gate where it would then be given to a member of the crew. It would then be secured in a location controlled by the captain and crew.
The bipartisan language currently under consideration is an important first step to getting us back to a time when donor organs were treated as the lifesaving gifts they are. In 2022, there were more than 40,000 organ transplants nationally and 581 in Indiana. Many of these were transported via commercial aircraft, making this change critically important to patients, families, and communities across the nation.
This fall, Congress has an opportunity to rectify an understandable overreaction put in place in the aftermath of 9/11 and help bring a little more peace of mind to those awaiting – or donating – the gift of life.
Mary “Dubbie” Buckler is a civic leader and an organizational effectiveness consultant. She formerly served as the Marion County Treasurer.