New federal rule seeks to improve airline travel for people with disabilities

Airline travel in 2025 is set to become more dignified for passengers with disabilities under a new Department of Transportation rule.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Monday announced enhanced protections for people with disabilities traveling on commercial airlines. The new regulations are aimed in particular at protecting passengers who use wheelchairs, after a series of violations of existing laws by airlines. 

For example, the new rule requires training for airlines workers responsible for physically assisting passengers with disabilities and handling their wheelchairs. It also outlines steps airlines must take if they damage or misplace a passenger’s wheelchair — all in an effort to make the skies friendlier for the roughly 5.5 million Americans use a wheelchair.

DOT data shows that one in every 100 wheelchairs or scooters transported on domestic flights is damaged, delayed, or lost. 

Setting a new standard

Indeed, when a passenger is unable to access or use their mobility device, they’re effectively deprived of their freedom until it’s returned or replaced.

Concern over airlines’ mishandling of records leads many passengers with disabilities to avoid air travel altogether, research has shown. 

“Every passenger deserves safe, dignified travel when they fly — and we’ve taken unprecedented actions to hold airlines accountable when they do not provide fair treatment to passengers with disabilities,” Secretary Buttigieg said in a statement Monday. “With the new protections we’re announcing today, we’re establishing a new standard for air travel — with clear and thorough guidelines for airlines to ensure that passengers using wheelchairs can travel safely and with dignity.” 

Here’s some of what the new rule requires. 

• The rule requires that airlines assist individuals with disabilities without putting them at heightened risk of bodily injury. It must also assist them in a “dignified” manner, by respecting their independence, autonomy and privacy. 
• Airline personnel must be trained annually on physically assisting passengers who use wheelchairs or mobility devices. They must demonstrate their qualifications through competency assessments or by certification exam.
• It requires that passengers with disabilities receive prompt assistance when boarding and deplaning aircraft, including moving within the airport terminal. 
• Airlines must return all checked wheelchairs and other assistive devices to passengers in the same condition they were received.
• Improved seating accommodations at airports.

The final rule will be effective Jan.16, 2025. 

Secretary Buttigieg has prioritized improving air travel for those with disabilities. Previous actions include fining American Airlines $50 million over a series of violations of existing laws protecting airline passengers with disabilities, finalizing a rule in July 2023 requiring airline lavatories to be accessible to people with disabilities, and establishing the first Airline Passengers with Disabilities Bill of Rights in 2022.