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Airlines for America (A4A), a trade association and lobbying group based in Washington DC, has joined forces with several major US airlines to challenge a rule implemented by the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) regarding wheelchair damage. The lawsuit filed against the DOT claims that the existing regulation is "unlawful."
The rule in question was introduced last year by Pete Buttigieg, then-Transportation Secretary of the United States, aiming to ensure that wheelchairs are handled with care. It classified mishandling as losing, delaying, damaging, or stealing wheelchairs or other mobility devices. This measure was intended to hold airlines accountable for incidents where passengers' wheelchairs are damaged during transit and to establish new safety standards.
Mother Jones reported that the rule emerged from collaboration between Pete Buttigieg and disability rights advocates, including Samantha Jade Duràn, whose wheelchair suffered damage in 2017 when transported in an aircraft's cargo hold. Despite these efforts, several major US airlines have taken legal action against the rule.
