The Transportation Department has proposed a series of regulations aiding travelers who use wheelchairs.
"Despite a lot of progress, transportation remains inaccessible to too many, and that is certainly true in aviation," DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg said during an announcement event at the White House on Thursday.
Among other measures, the proposal would make it easier for the DOT to fine airlines that mishandle wheelchairs, with a maximum penalty of $125,000.
The rule would also require annual training for airline workers who load wheelchairs onto aircraft or who help transport flyers in wheelchairs.
Airlines would also face stronger requirements for replacing or repairing damaged wheelchairs and for reuniting travelers with lost or delayed wheelchairs. In addition, carriers would be required to provide prompt service for assisting travelers in wheelchairs with boarding, deplaning and making flight connections.
The proposals met with broad approval from disability activists, including Paralyzed Veterans of America, which petitioned the DOT in late 2022 to implement many of the proposals that the agency unveiled Wednesday.
"Today's proposed changes by the Department of Transportation include several vital steps that would dramatically improve the air travel experience for people with disabilities," Paralyzed Veterans of America chief policy officer Heather Ansley said.
However, the organization's CEO, Carl Balke, cautioned Buttigieg that the proposed rules must be carefully enforced.
"If you're going to do it, you've got to do it right," he said at the White House event.
The DOT proposal follows growing recognition in recent years of the challenges faced by flyers who require wheelchairs, including the frequency with which airlines damage wheelchairs.
For the first 11 months of 2023, airlines lost, damaged or delayed the return of 1.26% of wheelchairs and scooters, more than tripling the rate of 0.39% for checked baggage.
Disability advocates also say that flyers often have to wait long periods of time to receive wheelchair assistance.
Congress has also taken up the issue. Measures in the House and Senate versions of the five-year FAA reauthorization bill also address training requirements for wheelchair handlers, among other disability-related matters.
In a statement Wednesday, Airlines for America said that U.S. airlines are committed to providing a high level of service to passengers with disabilities.
"A4A passenger carriers continue to work with the disability community, the DOT and other industry stakeholders on developing and implementing solutions to accessibility barriers," the trade group said. A4A didn't specifically comment on any of the DOT's proposed regulations, but said that airlines have made improvements, including disability training enhancements, since making enhanced accessibility commitments in October 2022.
The public now has 60 days to comment on the proposed regulations, after which the DOT will review the comments and issue final rules. Comments can be submitted on the regulations.gov website, docket DOT-OST-2022-0144.