A joint investigation by the Department of Transportation and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division found that American Airlines routinely violates regulations designed to guard passengers in wheelchairs.
In announcing the resulting $50 million effective, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg explained that investigators learned that AA had damaged “thousands” of wheelchairs and failed to supply appropriate assistance to disabled passengers.
“One disabled passenger told us, ‘I feel like luggage, so I don’t fly anymore,’” Buttigieg said at a news conference.
He then declared that “this is the end of tolerating the mistreatment of people in wheelchairs on planes” and explained that investigations were already underway into similar problems on other airlines.
The $50 million effective is the highest penalty imposed for such violations. CNN reports that the Department of Transportation “requires the airline to spend $25 million in credits to cover a total of $50 million in fines to reduce incidents of defective wheelchairs and make significant infrastructure improvements.” If, as a results of further motion, it seems that the American has not made progress, he can be fined $25 million.
In a lengthy statement, American Airlines said it has already made significant investments to handle these issues and “takes all of these complaints and claims seriously and is working hard to resolve them.”