The big airlines in the US have filed a lawsuit to try to get rid of new customer rules that help people with disabilities. They say that the Department of Transportation (DOT) went too far when it made stricter rules about how wheelchairs should be handled on trains.
The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals heard the case. It was made by the group Airlines for America and five airlines: American, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest, and United. Under the Air Carrier Access Act, which went into force in 2024 during the Joe Biden administration, it is illegal to handle a wheelchair in the wrong way.
They said the rule was unnecessary and unfairly put in place, which is what the companies said. They say they have made improvements in a number of areas, such as lowering the number of accidents involving wheelchairs, training workers, and coming up with ways to make things easier for people who use wheelchairs. Disability rights supporters, on the other hand, say that the rule is necessary to make sure that people are treated properly.
The problem of wheelchairs being treated wrong
There are about 5.5 million wheelchair users in the United States, and many of them have trouble on airplanes. In 2023 alone, 11,527 reports were made to the Department of Transportation about how planes mishandled wheelchairs and scooters.
To fix this issue, a rule that was made in December 2023 says that airlines must train their staff once a year on how to help disabled passengers. It also says that visitors who are affected must get help right away and be told what their rights are if they are delayed or lose or damage their mobility equipment.
People who fight for the rights of disabled people, like Maria Town, president of the American Association of People with Disabilities, have said that a lot of people don’t fly because they’re afraid their wheelchairs will get broken, which would make them less independent and less able to move around.
Other rules that are being debated
Along with fighting against rights for people with disabilities, airlines have fought against a rule that says they have to tell people the prices of things like checked luggage, changes to flights, and flight cancellations. For now, this rule has been put on hold.
Don’t forget that American Airlines decided to pay $50 million in October 2023 to settle claims that it didn’t handle wheelchairs properly or help disabled passengers enough. The event got a lot of attention, especially after a video showed a wheelchair being pushed off of a ramp without any care. The company denied any wrongdoing, though.
Leave a Comment