The US Department of Transportation has laid out new rules for service standards for airline passengers with disabilities.
It requires airlines to meet stricter standards to ensure ‘safe and dignified’ passenger assistance particularly for those in wheelchairs.
Annual training is mandated for passenger assistance agents from June 2026.
“Every passenger deserves safe, dignified travel when they fly — and we’ve taken unprecedented actions to hold airlines accountable,” said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
Assistance must be prompt for assisting passengers with disabilities boarding, deplaning and catching connecting flights.
In practice, assistance should be available and ready as soon as the last passenger not requesting assistance has left the aircraft.
According to the Air Travel Consumer Report from the DOT, about 1% of wheelchairs and mobility scooters were mishandled in September.
The new rule requires loaner equipment is made available if this happens.
American Airlines was recently fined $50 million for disabled passenger assistance failures.
