The Transportation Department has finalized a series of regulations for protecting flyers who use wheelchairs.
One of the rules clarifies the definition of a mishandled wheelchair, making it easier for the DOT to fine airlines for not returning chairs to customers in the same condition in which they were received. That measure is of particular interest to advocacy groups that have long called for airline improvements in their handling of wheelchairs. The most recent DOT statistics show that the 10 largest U.S. carriers mishandle 1.4% of checked wheelchairs and scooters, more than doubling the mishandling rate for other baggage.
The new rules will also require annual training for airline workers who load wheelchairs onto aircraft or who help transport flyers in wheelchairs. Workers will have to complete their initial training prior to performing wheelchair-related duties. These rules align with provisions put forward by Congress in the FAA reauthorization bill signed by President Joe Biden in May, except that the annual required training is stricter than the bill's minimum guideline of every 18 months.
Also, there are now stiffer requirements on airlines for replacing or repairing damaged wheelchairs and for reuniting travelers with lost or delayed wheelchairs. Airlines will be required to provide prompt service for assisting travelers in wheelchairs with boarding, deplaning and making flight connections. They'll also be required to prominently publish dimensions of the cargo hold, so that travelers can determine if their chair will fit onto an aircraft before they book. And they'll be required to reimburse travelers for any fare difference when a disabled flyer must pay more to book on a plane with large enough cargo holds.
"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," DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a prepared remark.
Issuance of the final rule comes less than 11 months after the Biden administration took the formal step of proffering the regulations in a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking late this past February. The rule will be effective Jan. 16, just four days before Donald Trump is inaugurated as president. Timelines for implementation of various elements in the regulations will vary from Jan. 16 to June 17, 2026.