US fines American Airlines $50 million over mishandling of disabled passengers and wheelchairs

AP Airlines Writer

DALLAS (AP) — The U.S. government is fining American Airlines $50 million for failing to provide wheelchair assistance to passengers with disabilities and damaging thousands of wheelchairs over a five-year period. The Transportation Department announced the civil penalty on Wednesday. American will only have to pay half of the fine because it is receiving credit for money it spent to improve wheelchair handling and to compensate affected passengers. The incidents raised by the Transportation Department occurred between 2019 and 2023. American says it’s making investments to improve the travel experience for people with disabilities and has reduced the rate of mishandled wheelchairs and power scooters by more than 20%.