The US Department of Transportation (DOT) has issued new commercial air travel protections for people with disabilities, imposing “more rigorous” standards for the assistance offered, particularly to those with wheelchairs.
“Every passenger deserves safe, dignified travel when they fly—and we’ve taken unprecedented actions to hold airlines accountable when they do not provide fair treatment to passengers with disabilities,” said Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “With the new protections we’re announcing today, we’re establishing a new standard for air travel—with clear and thorough guidelines for airlines to ensure that passengers using wheelchairs can travel safely and with dignity.”
As many as 1 in 10 disabled people don’t fly due to fear of harm
An estimated 5.5 million Americans use a wheelchair, the DOT says, and many of them encounter barriers when it comes to air travel. In fact, DOT data shows that one in every 100 wheelchairs or mobility scooters transported on domestic US flights is damaged. With the consequences of any damage so profound for people reliant on their mobility aids for their freedom of movement and their physical well-being, as many as one in ten people with a disability do not fly due to fear of bodily harm, damage to their wheelchair, or aircraft inaccessibility, the DOT has found.
As Theo Braddy explains, millions of Americans with disabilities don't travel by plane because of inadequate airline practices.
— Secretary Pete Buttigieg (@SecretaryPete) December 16, 2024
Today, we have announced strengthened protections for passengers with disabilities and more rigorous standards for airlines when handling wheelchairs. pic.twitter.com/rPLLBFXZYz
The new rules describe the standards airlines will be held to in terms of providing safe and dignified assistance that avoids heightened risk of bodily injury and respects passengers’ independence, autonomy and privacy. They cover a wide range of scenarios from the seating available to wheelchair users within airport terminals, to the availability of on-board wheelchairs.
Training, prompt assistance, and equipment handling
Annual training and competency certification will be required for all airline employees and contractors who physically assist passengers with mobility disabilities or handle passengers’ wheelchairs or scooters. The rules even go as far as to define what “prompt” assistance means, stating that assistance should be made available to passengers who use wheelchairs within the time it takes for the last person who did not need assistance to deboard.
When it comes to handling and storing mobility devices, airlines are presumed responsible for the equipment and any damage to it during their service. They must also keep passengers informed of the item’s loading and unloading status during the journey and tell passengers upfront about their rights. Passengers who use wheelchairs must have any differences in fare due to the need to access the hold or cargo section returned.
And if delays occur, wheelchairs or scooters must be delivered to the passenger’s final destination within 24 hours of the passenger’s arrival for domestic flights and short international flights (12 hours or less in duration) and within 30 hours of the passenger’s arrival for long international flights (more than 12 hours in duration).
Buttigieg has made improving air travel for people with disabilities a priority throughout his time in office, penalising American Airlines to the tune of $50 million for violations of disabilities laws, legislating so that aircraft lavatories are made accessible, and funding over 150 projects to make airports easier to move around for people with disabilities.
