American Airlines Group Inc. agreed to a $50 million civil penalty to resolve claims by the Biden administration that the carrier violated US rules protecting airline passengers with disabilities.
A US Transportation Department investigation found that American damaged or delayed the return of thousands of passenger wheelchairs, the department said in a statement on Wednesday. The government also alleged that American in some instances provided unsafe aid to passengers that at times resulted in injuries.
American will pay a $25 million fine as part of the settlement to resolve the claims, without admitting wrongdoing. The carrier also faces an additional $25 million fine if it fails to spend the same amount on investments to improve its handling of wheelchairs and compensation for affected passengers, according to the pact.
“The bottom line is that the era of tolerating poor treatment of wheelchair users on airplanes is over,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told reporters in a briefing ahead of the announcement.
American said in a statement that it is committed to serving passengers with disabilities and that the agreement will advance its “significant actions” to improve the travel experience for those individuals.
The airline has spent more than $175 million this year alone on infrastructure, training and other areas to bolster service for its passengers with disabilities, Julie Rath, American’s senior vice president of airport operations, said in the statement.
The carrier also said it has improved its handling of mobility devices over the last two years, and that it receives less than one complaint for every 1,000 passenger requests for wheelchair assistance.
The DOT’s Office of Aviation Consumer Protection reviewed complaints filed against American between 2019 and 2023. It found that the carrier damaged or delayed the return of wheelchairs and scooters, which led to “heightened risk of physical harm,” the government said in the settlement. In one instance, a video showed American workers dropping a wheelchair down a baggage ramp at Miami International Airport.
The penalty levied against American is 25 times larger than against any the department has imposed on a carrier over rules protecting passengers with disabilities, according to the Transportation Department.
The government also said that while American has been “one of the worst performers” in this area, the agency is investigating similar allegations at other US carriers.
The Biden administration has taken a hard line with airlines over consumer protection issues. Earlier this year it proposed requiring more training for airline employees who interacted with people who have disabilities and outlined rules for how carriers must proceed if a wheelchair is damaged during flight.
The department last year finalized a separate rule to make airplane bathrooms more accessible to people with disabilities.
Copyright 2024 Bloomberg.
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