An American Airlines plane arrives at LaGuardia Airport in the Queens borough of New York City on Nov. 8, 2025. Kylie Cooper/Reuters
WASHINGTON—The Department of Transportation (DOT) said Tuesday it will waive $16.7 million in fines issued to American Airlines under then-President Joe Biden in 2024 as part of a settlement over the air carrier’s treatment of disabled passengers, including failing to provide some with adequate assistance and mishandling wheelchairs.
DOT said it will instead require American to spend $16.8 million to benefit passengers with disabilities, including requiring American to buy 119 additional wheelchair lifts at Miami, Philadelphia, and Chicago O’Hare airports as well as mobile devices and software enhancements that will allow American to track and record passenger wheelchairs point-by-point as they move through the transport process.