American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines are appealing a Department of Transportation (DOT) rule implemented by the Biden administration that enforces certain air travel protections for wheelchair users and those with disabilities.
The airlines filed their court document with the lobbying group Airlines for American (A4A) on February 14 in the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The petitioners argue that the Biden-era rule is “unlawful” and that the DOT is overextending its authority.
Notably, the contested DOT rule emphasizes dignified air travel for those with disabilities. It requires that airline workers who interact with disabled flyers are offered annual training. Among other things, it also mandates that disabled passengers receive prompt assistance and that airlines face increased penalties if a wheelchair is delayed, damaged, or lost.
“The Department (of Transportation) considers the mishandling of wheelchairs, scooters, and assistive devices, and untimely wheelchair assistance, to constitute discrimination on the basis of disability,” notes the rule. “Those actions impose burdens on passengers with disabilities that they do not impose on passengers without disabilities. Those actions also deny passengers full and equal access to carriers’ services.”
What Else Should I Know About Air Travel Accessibility For Wheelchair Users?
In a statement addressing the petition, A4A said protections and accessibility for wheelchair users have been in the works.
“Progress has been made in four key areas aimed at improving the travel experience for passengers with mobility aids — reducing instances of wheelchair mishandling, advancing employee training and education programs, forming passenger accessibility advisory groups, and supporting research for onboard accessibility solutions,” the lobby group said, according to CBS News.
DOT data noted in December 2024 that “for every 100 wheelchairs or scooters transported on domestic flights, at least one is damaged, delayed, or lost.”
Maria Town, president and CEO of the American Association of People with Disabilities, spoke out when the Biden administration protection was finalized in mid-December. She commended the DOT for making progress for travelers with disabilities.
“For wheelchair and scooter users, like myself, our mobility equipment is our freedom and independence, which is why an estimated 1 in 10 disabled people do not fly because of fear of damage to their equipment,” Town said in part.
