The U.S. government has fined American Airlines $50 million for failing to provide wheelchair assistance to passengers with disabilities and damaging thousands of wheelchairs over five years.
The Department of Transport said Wednesday that “in some cases” wheelchair users were injured, but did not say how many.
American Airlines said it has made significant investments to improve its handling of wheelchairs. According to the consent order, the airline will be reimbursed $25 million, half of the civil penalty, for those investments and compensation paid to affected passengers.
The cases brought by the Department of Transportation occurred between 2019 and 2023.
The investigation was prompted in part by three formal complaints filed against Americans by Paralyzed Veterans of America.
Investigators also seized video of the incident at Miami International Airport last year. The worker slid the wheelchair down the baggage ramp. It hit the bottom of the chute, flipped over and skidded across the concrete.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said American Airlines “appears to be one of the worst offenders,” but that the problems investigators found “are not isolated to one airline.” The ministry said it was conducting similar investigations into other airlines, but did not name them.
Buttigieg told reporters: “The days of tolerating the mistreatment of wheelchair users on airplanes are over.”
Buttigieg said the U.S. government's mistreatment of disabled travelers is “not only undignified, it's dangerous.”
Carl Blake, CEO of the Paralyzed Veterans of America, praised the agency's actions.
“This is the strongest statement the Department of Transportation has made on how it will hold airlines accountable for endangering the well-being of passengers with disabilities, particularly those using wheelchairs and scooters,” Blake said in a statement. I'm happy about that,” he said.
“We are confident that this unprecedented enforcement will make clear to the entire aviation industry that passengers with mobility impairments have the right to travel with the same level of safety and dignity as other passengers.”
American Airlines mishandled more than 10,760 wheelchairs and mobility scooters from 2019 to 2023, according to Department of Transportation statistics. Only Southwest Airlines had more accidents, with more than 11,100. The department said Spirit Airlines had the highest rate of errors in recent years.
American Airlines said it has invested more than $175 million this year in infrastructure, training and other measures to improve the travel experience for people with disabilities.
American Airlines has reduced the rate of mishandling of wheelchairs and electric scooters by more than 20%, and fewer than 1 in 1,000 customers who request wheelchair assistance end up filing a complaint with the airline. said.
The penalties against American Airlines are far harsher than those against other airlines that the Department of Transportation has determined have violated laws protecting travelers with disabilities.
The previous highest penalty was $2 million against United Airlines in 2016, but that was reduced to $700,000 after United was awarded compensation to passengers and other expenses.
Department officials said the amount of fines against Americans reflects the number of incidents, such as wheelchairs being damaged or taking too long to return to passengers after a flight.
Federal regulations require airlines to promptly return wheelchairs and scooters to customers after flights without damage, and to assist passengers with disabilities in navigating airports and getting on and off planes. There is.
Airlines would have to pay to repair or replace damaged wheelchairs, but advocates say passengers could still be left without adequate transportation for weeks.
The fine against American Airlines is based on a proposed Department of Transportation rule that would make it a violation of federal law if airlines damage wheelchairs or fail to promptly return them to their owners.
The rule would also require annual training for airline employees responsible for handling wheelchairs and elevating passengers with disabilities. Buttigieg said the rule is being finalized, but did not provide a timeline for completion.
