Safe, timely transportation of donated organs is an important part of the donation, procurement, and transplantation process. Organs may travel between donor hospitals, recovery locations, airports, and transplant hospitals using ground transportation, charter aircraft, or commercial airlines.
OPTN requirements for organ transport
OPTN members are responsible for meeting applicable OPTN requirements for packaging, labeling, shipping, storage, and tracking organs during transport as described in OPTN Policy 16 (PDF - 3 MB). OPTN policy requires that all OPOs and transplant centers use the external, internal and vessel labels when shipping or transporting organs outside the donor hospital. Color-coded, organ-specific labels help support accurate identification and reduce the risk of shipping errors.
Transporting organs on commercial airlines
Human organs and other biological materials may be transported on commercial airlines. Federal aviation and transportation-security regulations do not prohibit organs from being transported in the passenger cabin. Organs may also be transported in an aircraft cargo compartment. Individual airlines determine how they will accept organs in the passenger cabin or cargo compartment and may establish their own procedures for reservations, check-in, boarding, seating, securement, and handling.
When commercial air transportation is used, transplant professionals and couriers should also be familiar with airline procedures and applicable Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) requirements.
In 2025, the FAA created a new website as an information hub for stakeholders who transport organs by air, including updated Information for Operators (PDF - 196 KB) specifically about the transportation of human organs in the cabin of aircraft and to ensure all carriers have the information and training they need to encourage safe, smooth transport of organs on commercial aircraft.
However, airline-specific procedures may differ. Couriers and Organ Procurement Organization planning to transport organs on commercial flights should contact the airline directly for its current requirements.
Airport security screening
Human organs are permitted through airport security checkpoints. TSA considers human organs and certain other biological materials to be fragile medical materials.
Medical couriers transporting an organ are to request assistance from a TSA supervisor or Passenger Support Specialist at the security checkpoint. TSA will review the documentation provided by the courier and ensure that the aircraft operator has been properly notified. The medical documentation provided by the courier may indicate what screening procedures and/or technologies may negatively affect the materials.
Couriers and organizations arranging transportation should review current TSA guidance before travel and allow adequate time for security screening.
Organ labels
OPTN members can order required professional materials for organ transport:
Modernizing Organ Transportation
Starting in 2024, the FAA convened a Federal Organ Transport Working Group with HRSA and TSA representatives, to support education, information sharing, and identify opportunities for improving how organs are transported via commercial airlines. The Working Group also included airlines, organ procurement organizations, organ transplant hospitals, couriers, patient representatives, and unions representing flight attendants, pilots, dispatchers, and passenger service agents. In May 2025, this Working Group delivered their final report (PDF - 635 KB), including 20 recommendations to improve the process.
Additionally, in 2024 HRSA awarded a discovery contract to assess how organs are transported and identify opportunities to make the system safer, more reliable, and more transparent for patients and families. The contractor’s final report on the current organ tracking technology and transportation support services is available here (PDF - 575 KB).
Building on these discovery findings and the FAA Workgroup recommendations, HRSA will work with the OPTN community to develop clear, technology-neutral system requirements for organ transport. These requirements will focus on ensuring that every organ can be reliably tracked from donor to recipient, that key transport and temperature information is captured and shared securely, and that a centralized “visibility” solution can provide real-time alerts when something goes wrong. Over time, this work will support better analysis of delays and missed transplants, reduce preventable losses, and help ensure that every donated organ has the best possible chance to reach the patient who needs it.