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
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Airlines must publish information prominently on their websites including listing the dimensions of the cargo holds (and their openings) for the aircraft they fly.
At the airport
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Upon checking a mobility device, airlines must notify passengers, in writing, of their right to contact a complaint resolution official at the airline and to file a claim with the airline, should their device be mishandled.
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Airlines must provide prompt assistance for passengers boarding and disembarking from a plane and while connecting to another flight. This means that personnel and a boarding wheelchair must be available when the final passenger who doesn’t need assistance disembarks (travelers who use wheelchairs generally disembark last).
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A passenger’s personal wheelchair must brought as close to the aircraft door as possible upon deplaning, unless they request otherwise or if it’s unsafe to do so.
When mobility devices are delayed
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Airlines will reimburse the cost of a passenger’s ground transportation to or from the airport because of delayed mobility equipment.
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If a mobility device does not make it onto a traveler’s flight, airlines will offer to rebook them for free on the next available flight. This could either be on the initially scheduled airline or with a partner carrier, at no additional charge.
When a wheelchair or other mobility device is mishandled
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Airlines will give passengers a reasonable time frame to inspect their equipment for damage and to file a claim with the airline.
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Airlines are on the hook to provide a loaner wheelchair, which meets the passenger’s functional and safety needs, while a traveler is waiting for the return, repair or replacement of their mishandled device. If the airline’s option isn’t sufficient, passengers are allowed to find an alternative loaner mobility device for which airlines will reimburse costs.
Changes coming later in 2025 and beyond
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By March 17 For passengers whose devices have been mishandled, airlines must inform them, in writing, of their rights, which include contacting a complaint resolution official, lodging a claim with the airline and receiving a loaner wheelchair from the airline or from their preferred vendor. This is in addition to the similar information required to be provided upon check-in. Airlines are also now required to issue status updates on delayed mobility devices.
Additionally, if a passenger using a mobility device must book a more expensive flight because a cheaper flight does not have sufficient space in the aircraft’s cabin or cargo hold, the airline must reimburse the passenger the cost difference between the two flights. The flights must be on the same day and airline, with the same origin and destination.
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By June 16 Airlines are required to transport delayed devices to the passenger’s final destination — an airport, home or a hotel — within specific time frames: 24 hours of the passenger’s arrival for domestic flights and international flights of 12 hours or less; 30 hours of the traveler’s arrival for international flights exceeding 12 hours. If repairs or replacements are necessary, airlines will give passengers the option to arrange this with their preferred vendor, and for the airline to pay the vendor directly.
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By Dec. 17 Before the cabin door closes, airlines will notify passengers whether their mobility equipment has been successfully loaded onto the flight or not. Upon arrival, before passengers disembark, airlines will inform passengers when their equipment has been unloaded. Airlines will provide safe and adequate seating for passengers waiting at the airport for delayed or mishandled mobility devices.
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By summer 2026: Airline employees and contractors who support passengers with disabilities or handle mobility equipment will receive annual training, including hands-on instruction.
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