New standards plan to enhance assistance, penalties for mishandling, and on-board accessibility.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg introduced a new rule from the Department of Transportation (DOT) to ensure the safe and dignified travel of airline passengers using wheelchairs. The proposed rule plans to establish standards for airlines to accommodate passengers with disabilities, requiring prompt, safe, and respectful assistance.
The rule would mandate enhanced training for airline personnel assisting passengers with disabilities, as well as actions to safeguard passengers if their wheelchairs are damaged during transport. The rule proposes to make the mishandling of wheelchairs an automatic violation of the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA), allowing the Transportation Department to enforce penalties against airlines.
“There are millions of Americans with disabilities who do not travel by plane because of inadequate airline practices and inadequate government regulation, but now we are setting out to change that,” said Secretary Buttigieg. “This new rule would change the way airlines operate to ensure that travelers using wheelchairs can travel safely and with dignity.”
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Secretary Buttigieg as he seeks to ensure the accommodation of disabled air travelers.
- For U.S. transportation officials to be discerning as they regulate the airline industry.
Sources: Department of Transportation
