The U.S. government has fined American Airlines $50 million for failing to provide adequate wheelchair assistance to passengers with disabilities and for damaging thousands of wheelchairs over five years, the Transportation Department announced Wednesday. In some cases, wheelchair users were injured, though officials did not specify how many.
American Airlines has claimed it has made significant improvements, including investing in better wheelchair-handling processes. Under a consent order, the airline will be credited $25 million—half of the civil penalty—due to these investments and compensation provided to affected passengers.
The incidents cited by the Transportation Department occurred between 2019 and 2023. The investigation was partly triggered by three formal complaints from the Paralyzed Veterans of America against the company. One key piece of evidence came from video footage recorded at Miami International Airport last year. The footage showed workers carelessly sliding a wheelchair down a baggage ramp, causing it to flip over and skid across the concrete.
“One of the worst offenders”
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg singled out American Airlines as “one of the worst offenders,” but noted that similar issues exist across the airline industry. “The era of tolerating poor treatment of wheelchair users on airplanes is over,” Buttigieg told reporters, adding that the department is conducting investigations into other airlines as well, though he did not name them.
From 2019 to 2023, American Airlines mishandled over 10,760 wheelchairs and mobility scooters, according to Transportation Department data. Southwest Airlines logged slightly more incidents, with over 11,100, while Spirit Airlines had the highest percentage of errors in several of those years.
American Airlines responds with investments and policy changes
American Airlines responded to the fine by stating it has invested more than $175 million this year on infrastructure, training, and other measures to improve the travel experience for passengers with disabilities. The airline claims it has reduced its mishandling of wheelchairs and power scooters by more than 20%, with fewer than one in every 1,000 customers requesting wheelchair assistance filing complaints.
A record fine reflecting the scope of the problem
The $50 million fine is significantly higher than previous penalties levied against airlines for similar violations. The previous record fine was $2 million against United Airlines in 2016, which was reduced to $700,000 after credits for compensating passengers and other corrective actions. Department officials emphasized that the size of the fine reflects the sheer number of incidents, which included not only damaging wheelchairs but also taking too long to return them to passengers after flights.
Federal regulations require airlines to return wheelchairs and scooters to customers quickly and undamaged after flights, and to help passengers with disabilities get around airports and get on and off planes. Airlines are required to pay for repairs or replacement of damaged wheelchairs, but advocates say that can still leave users without a suitable way to get around for weeks.