The Biden administration hit American Airlines with a record-breaking penalty, criticizing the carrier’s handling of passengers who use wheelchairs on mobility devices — and their valuables.
The US Department of Transportation on Wednesday announced a $50 million fine against America.
As part of the settlement, the Fort Worth, Texas-based carrier will have to pay a $25 million fine to the federal government. An additional $25 million will also need to be invested in improving the passenger experience for travelers with disabilities, from accessibility to infrastructure that helps staff manage transportation.
The penalties imposed by the DOT come after the department revealed it uncovered “a number of serious violations” of passenger rights laws between 2019 and 2023.
At the time, the DOT said American mishandled thousands of wheelchairs and repeatedly failed to provide prompt wheelchair assistance. Investigators also found a number of unsafe or disrespectful treatment of disabled passengers, in some cases, leading to injuries.
“The important thing is that it is past time to tolerate the mistreatment of wheelchair users on airplanes. Breaking a passenger’s wheelchair or treating him in a manner that is not dignified or unsafe is not only wrong, it is illegal, that is why we are taking historic action here,” said Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg in a call with reporters.
In a statement sent by TPG on Wednesday, American said it has a “long-standing commitment to serving passengers with disabilities.” The carrier fielded more than 8 million requests for wheelchair assistance in 2023, the airline added, and 0.1% of those cases resulted in a complaint.
Other airlines are also under investigation
In announcing the steep penalties against American, the DOT acknowledged that the carrier is not alone.
The DOT’s Office of Aviation Consumer Protection has several active investigations into some US carriers.
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“Although American Airlines appears to be one of the worst offenders, the problems we uncovered in our investigation are not limited to one airline,” said Buttigieg.
However, DOT officials said American, between 2019 and 2023, ranked near the top of several key complaint categories, from a lack of quick wheelchair assistance to poorly handled mobility devices.
The DOT specifically points to a series of complaints filed against American by the non-profit organization Paralyzed Veterans of America, a long-time advocate for passengers with disabilities on commercial airlines.
The department pointed to, as evidence, a high-profile 2023 social media post that appeared to show a wheelchair upside down in a loading dock before crashing violently to the ground in Miami – a charge Buttigieg, at the time, described as “absolutely unacceptable” on social media X.
According to data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, airlines mishandled more than 1,000 wheelchairs, scooters and mobility devices in August alone — the last month the agency has its data.
In 2023, carriers will handle about 1.38% of travel equipment, down slightly from 1.41% in 2022, according to BTS data.
Passengers who have damaged their mobility devices often face significant inconvenience and, at times, unsafe conditions while waiting for a wheelchair to be repaired or replaced — many of which are highly customized to meet their individual needs.
It’s meant to be a hindrance
The DOT’s stiff penalty against American is 25 times larger than comparable fines historically, Buttigieg said — one intended to “change the behavior of airlines.”
But it’s also just the latest case of the Biden administration taking a tougher approach to regulating airlines in the name of consumer protection.
In 2022, the DOT publicly stated the decades-old protections provided to passengers with disabilities in the Airline Passengers with Disabilities Bill of Rights.
Earlier this year, the department proposed a new law that would tighten requirements for airlines on how to accommodate passengers and mobility devices, calling for stiff penalties for carriers who mishandle wheelchairs – and enforcing stricter training for staff.
The Biden administration also finalized legislation last year requiring carriers to immediately begin installing accessible toilets on newly delivered single-aisle jets beginning in the 2030s; The Air Carrier Access Act, signed by former President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s, already requires larger toilets on wide-body jets.
The American replied
As part of this latest action, American will be required to invest $25 million in equipment aimed at reducing wheelchair injuries at many airports across the country. This is in addition to issuing compensation to passengers affected by the alleged breach between 2019 and 2023.
On the other hand, the carrier tells TPG that it has already invested more than $175 million this year in services, infrastructure, training and new technology at its airports – including wheelchair access and chair lifts at 20-plus airports. Many other airports, American said, should receive the upgraded equipment by the end of this year.
“Despite these improvements, there are instances where the airline’s service is disrupted, not on time, or causes injury to a passenger or their equipment. American takes all of these complaints and claims seriously, and is working hard to fix them,” the carrier said. said in a statement on Wednesday.
The US Travel Association also weighed in on Wednesday’s announcement, noting American’s “commitment and care” for customers with disabilities “is clearly evident in the progress and investment it has made,” a spokesperson said in a statement sent to TPG.
Accounting for a wide range of key performance metrics, American Airlines ranked fourth among US carriers in TPG’s 2024 report of the best US airlines.
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