On December 16, 2024, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has introduced new protections for individuals with disabilities in commercial air travel.
These measures aim to ensure that all passengers, particularly those with disabilities, can fly safely and with dignity. An estimated 5.5 million Americans use a wheelchair and many encounter barriers when it comes to air travel; according to the DOT, for every 100 wheelchairs or scooters transported on domestic flights at least one is damaged, delayed, or lost.
The newly announced provisions require more rigorous, comprehensive standards for accommodating passengers with disabilities, especially wheelchair users, throughout their entire travel experience- before, during, and after their flight. The new requirements fall into four main categories:
- Assistance for those with disabilities
- Enhanced training for airport employees
- Guidelines when a wheelchair is damaged or delayed during transport
- Regulations for equipment and infrastructure of airlines, airports, and aircrafts
Assistance for Those with Disabilities
The rule mandates that assistance be provided in a manner that is both safe and dignified, ensuring there is no risk of injury while respecting the passenger’s independence, autonomy, and privacy. Key provisions include assistance with prompt enplaning, deplaning, and connections. Airlines are now required to deplane passengers needing assistance immediately after the last passenger without assistance exits the aircraft, and personal wheelchairs must be made available as close to the aircraft door as possible.
Enhanced Training for Airport Employees
The rule requires annual hands-on training for airline employees and contractors who physically assist passengers with disabilities and handle their wheelchairs. This training ensures that all personnel are equipped with the necessary skills to provide safe, respectful, and efficient assistance. The goal of this initiative is to ensure employees have a comprehensive understanding of expectations and policies, equipping them to offer exceptional support.
Wheelchair Damage or Delay
The protections primarily focus on procedures for handling situations where a wheelchair is damaged or delayed. Airlines are responsible for returning all checked wheelchairs and other assistive devices to passengers in the condition they were received. If a bag is mishandled, a passenger must be notified in writing of the issue and airlines are expected to provide prompt repair or replacement of damage (along with reimbursing passengers for the costs of any transportation to or from the airport because of the delay).
The protection also requires that passengers are informed of when their wheelchairs or scooters have been unloaded from the cargo compartment of their flight. If a wheelchair or scooter is delayed, the device must arrive to the passenger’s final destination within 24 hours of the passenger’s arrival for domestic flights and short international flights (12 hours or less in duration), and within 30 hours of the passenger’s arrival for long international flights (more than 12 hours in duration).
Regulations for Equipment and Infrastructure
Airports are now required to provide safe and adequate seating accommodation for passengers who are waiting for loaner equipment or for mishandled items to be returned. This seating should ensure comfort and accessibility, allowing passengers to wait without difficulty or inconvenience.
Airlines must now publish accessible places info on their websites to describe the relevant dimensions and other characteristics of cargo holds on all aircraft types of the airline, as well as the cargo hold entry, to better accommodate passengers’ wheelchairs and other devices.
Additionally, the rule addresses fair pricing by requiring airlines to reimburse the fare difference for a passenger who uses a wheelchair if their wheelchair could not fit in the cabin or cargo compartment of the aircraft. This reimbursement is based on the fare the passenger would have paid for an alternative flight, subject to certain limitations.
New and improved performance standards for OBWs (on-board wheelchairs) are also being mandated on twin-aisle aircrafts. OBWs must also be available on aircrafts with more than 60 seats after October 2, 2026, consistent with current standards for aircrafts with 125 or more seats. The rule requires all OBWs for use on aircraft with more than 60 seats to meet the Department’s new improved standards by October 2, 2031.
These new regulations mark a significant step forward in creating a more comfortable and inclusive travel experience for individuals with disabilities. Secretary Buttigieg emphasizes that the new regulations, “establish 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.”
Read more: New guidelines to require universal changing tables in all major U.S. airport terminals
