Disability rights advocates have applauded the US Department of Transportation’s decision to levy a $50 million fine against American Airlines for its failure to provide “safe, dignified and prompt” wheelchair assistance — and for mishandling passengers’ wheelchairs.
The penalty, announced by US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, is 25 times larger than any previous DOT penalty against an airline for violating disability regulation.
DOT officials’ investigation of American included the review of three formal complaints by the Paralyzed Veterans of America.
“We are pleased to see DOT making such a strong statement for how it will hold airlines accountable for jeopardizing the well-being of passengers with disabilities, particularly wheelchair and scooter users,” says Carl Blake, chief executive officer of Paralyzed Veterans of America.
“We are confident this unprecedented enforcement will make it clear to the entire airline industry that passengers with mobility disabilities deserve to travel with the same level of safety and dignity as everyone else.”
The United Spinal Association is a US-based nonprofit membership organization dedicated to empowering people with spinal cord injuries and disorders. CEO Vincenzo Piscopo, a wheelchair user, says: “It is very unfortunate that the DOT has to enforce a monumental fine against an iconic air carrier to ensure our basic rights are respected and protected.
“Money won’t fix the indignity of being mistreated while traveling as a wheelchair user, but it sends a message to the industry that change must come. No excuses. We applaud DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s commitment to our community.”
The association notes that as many as 1,000 wheelchairs, mobility devices, and scooters are lost, damaged, or destroyed on flights every month. “Safe, dignified and timely assistance for all air travelers is non-negotiable,” it says.
British TV Presenter Sophie Morgan, who founded the global “Rights on Flights” campaign to combat accessibility and safety barriers for disabled travelers, calls the $50 million penalty against American “unprecedented”.
“This isn’t just a number; it’s a sign that the era of neglecting disabled travelers is coming to an end,” Morgan says on her Instagram account.
American was specifically cited for what the DOT describes as “numerous serious violations of the laws protecting airline passengers with disabilities between 2019 and 2023”.
The department says its investigation uncovered cases of “unsafe physical assistance” that at times resulted in injuries and undignified treatment of wheelchair users, in addition to repeated failures to provide prompt wheelchair assistance.
American was also accused of mishandling thousands of wheelchairs by damaging them or delaying their return, leaving travelers without the device they need for mobility.
“The era of tolerating poor treatment of airline passengers with disabilities is over,” declares US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
“With this penalty, we are setting a new standard of accountability for airlines that violate the civil rights of passengers with disabilities. By setting penalties at levels beyond a mere cost of doing business for airlines, we’re aiming to change how the industry behaves and prevent these kinds of abuses from happening in the first place.”
The $50 million penalty against American is split into two parts: the US major must pay a $25 million fine to the US Treasury, and it will be credited $25 million to make key investments in accessibility including in equipment to reduce incidents of wheelchair damage, investments in a systemwide wheelchair tagging system to reduce incidents of wheelchair delay, deployment of hub control center employees to coordinate wheelchair handling on a systemwide basis at large airports, and compensation for affected passengers during the timeframe covered by the DOT’s investigation.
Should American fail to make these investments, it will be forced to pay the additional $25 million to the US Treasury, the DOT warns.
This massive fine comes at a time when the Federal Aviation Administration is working to define the criteria necessary to allow someone to remain in their personal wheelchair during flight using a tie-down “similar to what’s used in the automotive industry”. And for its part, the DOT is working towards a future rule on the matter.
Incidentally, Paralyzed Veterans of America also played an instrumental role in pushing for the introduction of accessible lavatories on narrowbody aircraft; a DOT rule affecting new aircraft deliveries will go into effect in under a decade.
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- American Airlines changes course on wheelchair weight limit policy
- First look at Air4All economy wheelchair system, recliner model update
- Op-Ed: When airlines damage my wheelchair, they take away my legs
