The AIR PUMP Act requires airlines to provide breastfeeding accommodations for flight crew members who are nursing infants up to one year after birth. Specifically, airlines must allow reasonable break time for employees to express breast milk and provide a private space—other than a bathroom—that is shielded from view and free from coworkers and public intrusion. The law includes safety carve-outs, exempting airlines from providing breaks during critical flight phases and protecting them from having to add staff or make expensive aircraft modifications, though installing basic screening like a curtain does not count as a significant expense. The Federal Aviation Administration has three years from enactment to issue detailed regulations defining how these requirements apply to crew time on aircraft. The law gives the Department of Labor authority to investigate complaints and allows affected employees to sue in federal or state court, with violators facing penalties under existing Fair Labor Standards Act provisions.
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