Thu, Mar 27, 2003
At Issue: Treatment of Passengers With Disabilities
The U.S. Department of Transportation has
announced the issuance of an order reflecting a settlement with US
Airways regarding the carrier’s treatment of air travelers
with disabilities. The order finds that the carrier has violated
the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) and federal regulations regarding
wheelchair service required to be provided to disabled air
travelers. It also assesses the bankrupt airline a civil penalty of
$550,000 for these violations.
According to the terms of the settlement, US Airways is ordered
to cease and desist from future violations of the ACAA and
DOT’s rules prohibiting discrimination against passengers
with disabilities. The settlement allows US Airways to use $400,000
of the penalty toward specified activities to improve the
carrier’s services to persons with disabilities. The
remaining $150,000 will be treated as an unsecured claim in the
carrier’s current bankruptcy proceeding.
The department’s Aviation Enforcement Office launched an
investigation of US Airways’ compliance with the ACAA’s
requirements regarding wheelchair service based on complaints
received by the department. The Aviation Enforcement Office’s
review of the complaints received by DOT, as well as by the
carrier, revealed a significant number of apparent violations by US
Airways, including instances of prolonged delays in obtaining
wheelchairs, and passengers' being left alone in wheelchairs or
aboard aircraft for extended periods of time. In addition, the
office found that US Airways failed to comply with the requirement
for providing a proper written response to complainants in a number
of instances.
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