US Imposes $50 Million Fine On American Airlines For Mishandling Disabled Passengers

The Department of Transportation (DOT) announced on Wednesday that American Airlines has been fined $50 million due to multiple serious breaches of laws designed to protect passengers with disabilities. This penalty is 25 times greater than the previous highest fine imposed on an airline for such violations and is seen as a new benchmark for how the DOT intends to enforce compliance with these regulations in the future.

American Airlines, based in Fort Worth, reported a net profit of $822 million for the fiscal year 2023, which means the fine accounts for 6% of the airline’s earnings from that year.

DOT investigation

In a statement regarding the settlement, American Airlines indicated its commitment to enhancing the travel experience for customers who use wheelchairs and other mobility devices.

The DOT’s investigation examined passenger complaints from 2019 to 2023 and revealed instances of unsafe physical assistance, which sometimes resulted in injuries and inappropriate treatment of wheelchair users, as well as consistent failures to provide timely wheelchair assistance. The investigation included three formal complaints submitted by Paralyzed Veterans of America.

American Airlines mishandled thousands of wheelchairs

U.S. law mandates that airlines promptly return wheelchairs and mobility devices in their original condition and provide timely assistance to passengers with disabilities for boarding and disembarking, as well as for moving within the airport.

In its statement, American Airlines noted that it received over 8 million requests for wheelchair assistance in 2023, with fewer than 1 in 1,000 of those requests leading to a disability-related complaint.

The DOT asserted that during the five-year investigation, American Airlines mishandled thousands of wheelchairs, resulting in damage or delays that left travelers without the mobility devices they require. One video taken at Miami International Airport showed the airline’s ground crew dropping a wheelchair down a baggage ramp.

American Airlines  penalized $4.1 million earlier

Between 1996 and 2020, the DOT imposed a total of $71 million in penalties against airlines for consumer protection and civil rights violations. However, during the Biden-Harris Administration, this amount has tripled, with nearly $225 million in penalties issued.

Last year, American Airlines was penalized $4.1 million for repeatedly delaying domestic flights on the tarmac for three hours or more without allowing passengers to disembark. The highest single penalty against an airline was a $140 million fine imposed on Southwest Airlines due to its operational failures during Winter Storm Elliott in 2022.

$50 million penalty

As part of the $50 million penalty, American Airlines is required to pay $25 million to the U.S. Treasury and invest another $25 million in measures aimed at reducing wheelchair damage, implementing a tagging system to minimize delays, deploying staff for better coordination of wheelchair handling at major airports, and compensating affected passengers for the period under investigation. Should American fail to execute these investments, it will need to pay the second $25 million as a fine to the U.S. Treasury.

American Airlines stated that in recognition of the unique challenges faced by passengers with disabilities, it plans to invest more than $175 million in 2024 in services, infrastructure, training, and new technology to facilitate their travel and transport specialized equipment.

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