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The Transportation Department has expanded the rights of airline passengers with mobility disabilities. The first changes will go into effect next month.
Dec. 17, 2024, 6:22 p.m. ET
Among the Biden Administration’s final acts are improvements to the flying experience for passengers with mobility issues: Regulations proposed earlier this year — including requiring beefed-up customer assistance and providing more support when equipment like wheelchairs are mishandled — will begin to go into effect next month.
The Transportation Department estimates that one out of every 100 wheelchairs or mobility scooters transported on a domestic flight is damaged, delayed or lost.
“With the new protections we’re announcing today, we’re establishing a new standard for air travel — with clear and thorough guidelines for airlines to ensure that passengers using wheelchairs can travel safely and with dignity,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement.
Here’s what we know about the raft of new regulations, with many beginning on Jan. 16. As with all D.O.T. rules, these regulations apply to all flights to, from, or within the United States.
Before a flight
Airlines must publish information prominently on their websites including listing the dimensions of the cargo holds (and their openings) for the aircraft they fly.
