U.S. Dept. of Transportation levies $50 million fine against American Airlines
Source: WGN9 News
(WGN) — The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) announced a $50 million fine against American Airlines Wednesday, saying the company violated the rights of people with disabilities who flew with the airline.
DOT officials said a four-year investigation into American from 2019 to 2023 revealed numerous violations of laws protecting airline passengers with disabilities, which included cases of unsafe physical assistance resulting in injuries, undignified treatment of wheelchair users, repeated failures to provide prompt wheelchair assistance, and thousands of wheelchairs being damaged or delayed in return, leaving travelers without the device they need for mobility.
“I know from personal experience that when an airline damages or breaks a wheelchair, it’s much more than a simple inconvenience — it’s the equivalent of breaking someone’s legs,” U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) said. “After writing the first law to require airlines to disclose the number of lost and damaged wheelchairs, this settlement between DOT and American Airlines is an important move to incentivize American Airlines — and all other carriers operating in the United States — to better handle wheelchairs and mobility devices.”
In 2018, Duckworth authored a first-of-its kind law requiring air carriers to disclose the number of mobility devices they damage, break or lose monthly, which after being signed into law, contributed toward the DOT’s findings in their investigation of American, resulting in the largest DOT fine against an airline for violating disability regulations in department history.
“The era of tolerating poor treatment of airline passengers with disabilities is over,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said. “With this penalty, we are setting a new standard of accountability for airlines that violate the civil rights of passengers with disabilities.
“By setting penalties at levels beyond a mere cost of doing business for airlines, we’re aiming to change how the industry behaves and prevent these kinds of abuses from happening in the first place.”
In a press release, DOT officials noted American had been one of the worst performers among U.S. airlines in terms of both the total number of wheelchair and scooter mishandling claims, and the rate of mishandling claims.
However, these problems are not unique to American, and DOT officials noted allegations of wheelchair mishandling and inadequate wheelchair assistance have been common throughout the airline industry.
According to DOT, they have active investigations into similar violations at other U.S. airlines, and Wednesday’s enforcement action is 25 times larger than DOT’s previous largest airline penalty for violations of disability protections.
“The era of tolerating poor treatment of airline passengers with disabilities is over,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said. “With this penalty, we are setting a new standard of accountability for airlines that violate the civil rights of passengers with disabilities.
“By setting penalties at levels beyond a mere cost of doing business for airlines, we’re aiming to change how the industry behaves and prevent these kinds of abuses from happening in the first place.”
In a press release, DOT officials noted American had been one of the worst performers among U.S. airlines in terms of both the total number of wheelchair and scooter mishandling claims, and the rate of mishandling claims.
However, these problems are not unique to American, and DOT officials noted allegations of wheelchair mishandling and inadequate wheelchair assistance have been common throughout the airline industry.
According to DOT, they have active investigations into similar violations at other U.S. airlines, and Wednesday’s enforcement action is 25 times larger than DOT’s previous largest airline penalty for violations of disability protections.
By: Eli Ong
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