US Raises Air Travel Standards for People with Disabilities

US airlines were required to comply by June 17 with new obligations that significantly expand the rights of passengers with disabilities and raise accessibility and safety standards in air travel

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The measures are part of a comprehensive package that the US Department of Transportation describes as the most significant expansion of disability rights in air travel in a generation.

Under the new rules, all airline employees and contractors who provide physical assistance to passengers with disabilities or handle wheelchairs and other mobility devices must complete annual training, including hands-on exercises. The goal is to ensure that assistance is delivered safely and respectfully while protecting passengers’ independence, privacy, and dignity.

The regulations also require airlines to provide faster and more efficient assistance during boarding, deplaning, and connecting flights. Whenever possible, passengers who use wheelchairs must have their personal wheelchair returned to them as close to the aircraft door as possible.

Special attention has been given to protecting wheelchairs and other assistive devices during transport. If an airline damages or loses a wheelchair, it is presumed to have violated the regulations unless it can prove otherwise.

In such cases, the airline must provide a suitable replacement wheelchair and cover the cost of repairing or replacing the damaged mobility device. Passengers also have the right to choose the repair service or supplier that will repair or replace their equipment, with all costs borne by the airline.

The new rules also establish deadlines for returning delayed wheelchairs. On domestic and shorter international flights, wheelchairs must be returned to passengers within 24 hours of arrival at their destination.

If an airline determines that a wheelchair cannot fit in the cargo hold of the scheduled flight or was not loaded for any reason, it must offer the passenger a seat on the next available flight at no additional cost.

The US Department of Transportation estimates that approximately 5.5 million Americans use wheelchairs. Data show that roughly one in every 100 wheelchairs or mobility scooters transported on domestic flights is damaged, lost, or delayed, which is why disability rights organizations have long called for stronger protections.

Disability advocates have welcomed the new regulations, saying they will help make air travel safer and more dignified for millions of passengers who face barriers every day.

The European Union already has legislation protecting the rights of passengers with disabilities, but in some areas these rules are less detailed than the new US regulations. Disability organizations have therefore argued for years that improvements are needed.

For example, the EU still requires passengers to notify airlines of their need for assistance at least 48 hours before a flight, while compensation rules for damaged or lost wheelchairs are not as strict or clearly defined as the new US standards. For this reason, the European Disability Forum has repeatedly called for reform of the current legislation.