U.S. Unveils New Plan to Protect Passengers With Wheelchairs


Skift Take

The latest proposals from the Department of Transportation are part of a wider effort to improve the passenger experience for those with disabilities.

The Department of Transportation proposed new rules Thursday on how airlines should accommodate passengers who use wheelchairs. 

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg described the rules as the largest expansion in passenger rights for those with wheelchairs since 2008. They would also allow the DOT to better hold airlines accountable for any wheelchair violations. 

Under the new rules, delaying the return of a wheelchair or mishandling it would become an automatic violation of a fed