Airline announcements and independent evaluations by disability advocacy groups

American Airlines Fined Record $50 Million for Mistreatment of Disabled Passengers and Mishandling Wheelchairs

Oct 23, 2024, 10:19 AM

American Airlines has agreed to pay a record $50 million civil penalty to resolve claims by the U.S. Department of Transportation that the carrier violated regulations protecting airline passengers with disabilities. The penalty addresses accusations that, over a five-year period, the airline failed to provide adequate wheelchair assistance, provided unsafe assistance, mishandled thousands of wheelchairs, and mistreated passengers with disabilities, resulting in some cases in injuries. The fine represents the largest ever imposed by the Transportation Department for such violations and accounts for 25% of the department's total penalties over the last five years. The Biden administration is emphasizing enforcement of accessibility regulations in air travel.