U.S. Department of Transportation Issues Record Penalty to American Airlines for Disability Rights Violations

In a landmark decision announced on October 23, 2024, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) issued a $50 million penalty against American Airlines for violations of disabled travelers' rights between 2019 and 2023. DOT investigators uncovered repeated failures, including unsafe physical assistance that resulted in injuries, and the mishandling of thousands of wheelchairs that left travelers without their essential mobility devices1.

The penalty consists of a $25 million cash fine that must be paid to the U.S. Treasury and $25 million in credits for accessibility investments. American Airlines is required to implement a company-wide wheelchair-tagging system to reduce incidents of wheelchair delay, deploy hub control center employees to coordinate wheelchair handling at large airports, and compensate affected passengers during the time frame covered by the investigation1.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stated, "This marks the end of tolerating poor treatment of airline passengers with disabilities. With this penalty, we are setting a new standard of accountability for airlines that violate the civil rights of passengers with disabilities1."

This action is a significant step towards ensuring better treatment and accessibility for disabled travelers, setting a precedent for how the department will enforce laws against such violations going forward.