The US Administration is dropping a $16.7 million fine American Airlines was liable to pay for its treatment of disabled travelers.
The US DOT said it is waiving the fine which was brought by the previous Biden Administration.
The 2024 fine was part of a settlement over American’s handling of disabled passengers, regarding the lack of adequate assistance and mishandling wheelchairs.
Instead, the US DOT said American is required to spend the same amount on upgrading its disabled passenger service.
This will include buying 119 wheelchair lifts at Miami, Philadelphia, and Chicago O’Hare airports as well as software enhancements to better track passenger wheelchairs during their flight,
“This is a better solution than sending money to the U.S. Treasury because now real, tangible benefits will go to the traveling public,” the DOT said.
The original 2024 settlement compelled American to pay $25 million in fines over three years.
“American will invest millions more to further improve the travel experience for customers who use wheelchairs and other mobility devices,” the airline said.
The fine was by far the largest ever imposed for disability protection violations.
It comes just days after the US DOT waived an $11 million fine on Southwest Airlines as part of its infamous IT meltdown during the holiday travel period a few years ago.
