Delta’s fine of US$2 million for poor handling of disabled passengers was the largest ever imposed on an air carrier by the US Transportation Department (DOT).
DOT found that Delta failed many times in 2007 and 2008 to help fliers with disabilities.
Delta has agreed to pay the fine by signing a consent agreement.
In a statement, the air carrier said the airline takes "the responsibility of serving customers with disabilities seriously and has made significant investments in technology, feedback assessment and training."
The incidents that led to the fine involved passengers in wheelchairs who were left unattended for more than 30 minutes either on the plane after other passengers had departed or in a terminal or on a tarmac, according to federal records.
The Aviation Enforcement Office also found that Delta failed to respond adequately to complaints about treatment of disabled passengers and didn’t properly report each complaint with the federal agency.
By David Wilkening
