A New Era for Accessible Air Travel in the US
In a landmark move to enhance air travel accessibility, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced on December 16, 2024, comprehensive new protections for airline passengers with disabilities. These measures represent the most significant expansion of rights for disabled travelers in over a generation, aiming to ensure safe and dignified air travel for all.
I can say from my own personal experience as someone paralyzed from the chest down and cannot walk, I have relied on using a wheelchair to be mobile since the age of 18. I have traveled by plane extensively over the years since I became paralyzed and my wheelchair has been damaged or destroyed numerous times. In addition, there has been no consistent proper handling and assistance for me transferring to and from an aisle chair and to and from the seat in the plane. I have been a strong advocate for these new protections having met with the USDOT and airline representatives and I am very optimistic these new protections usher in a new era for me and the millions of other passengers using a wheelchair and requiring assistance.
Enhanced Assistance and Training Requirements
The new regulations mandate that airlines adhere to more rigorous standards when assisting passengers with disabilities, particularly those who use wheelchairs. Key provisions include:
- Improved Assistance Protocols: Airlines are now required to provide more effective support to passengers with disabilities, ensuring seamless boarding, deplaning, and in-flight experiences.
- Mandatory Hands-On Training: All airline employees and contractors who physically assist passengers or handle mobility devices must undergo comprehensive, hands-on training. This initiative is designed to prevent injuries and ensure proper handling of wheelchairs and other assistive devices.
- Accountability for Damaged or Delayed Wheelchairs: The rule specifies clear actions airlines must take when a passenger’s wheelchair is damaged or delayed, emphasizing prompt and appropriate responses to such incidents.
Addressing a Pressing Need
An estimated 5.5 million Americans rely on wheelchairs, yet many face significant challenges when traveling by air. Department of Transportation (DOT) data indicates that for every 100 wheelchairs or scooters transported on domestic flights, at least one is damaged, delayed, or lost. Such incidents can severely impact an individual’s mobility, health, and independence.
In July 2023, Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary Buttigieg held a roundtable discussion where individuals with disabilities shared personal accounts of unsafe assistance and mishandling of mobility devices during air travel, some resulting in serious injuries. These testimonies underscored the urgent need for reform in airline policies and practices concerning disabled passengers.
Recent Enforcement Actions
This announcement follows a record-breaking penalty issued earlier in the year against American Airlines for unsafe and undignified treatment of passengers with disabilities. The airline faced a $50 million fine for numerous serious violations, including mishandling thousands of wheelchairs and providing inadequate assistance to disabled passengers between 2019 and 2023.
A New Standard for Air Travel
“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,” stated Secretary 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.”
These sweeping protections mark a pivotal step toward inclusive air travel, reflecting a commitment to upholding the rights and dignity of passengers with disabilities across the United States.
