The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) has levied a $50 million fine on American Airlines for multiple breaches of federal disability protection laws.
Following an investigation, the DOT found instances of unsafe and undignified treatment, particularly affecting wheelchair users who were left without proper assistance and, in some cases, sustained injuries.
Federal laws mandate that airlines carefully handle and promptly return wheelchairs and other mobility aids in the same condition they were received, as well as provide necessary assistance to passengers with disabilities for boarding, exiting, and navigating airport terminals.
However, the DOT reported “repeated failures to provide prompt wheelchair assistance” by American Airlines, citing delays, damage, and mishandling of thousands of mobility devices. The New York Times reported that such mishaps left passengers stranded without essential mobility aids.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg addressed the historic fine, declaring, “The era of tolerating poor treatment of airline passengers with disabilities is over.”
He added that this $50 million penalty is designed to be more than a typical business expense, aiming to enforce a higher standard of accountability for airlines and their treatment of disabled passengers.