Federal officials are again delaying enforcement of new regulations expanding the rights of airline passengers with disabilities, but this time they are considering rewriting many of the provisions.
The U.S. Department Transportation said it will not enforce four key parts of what’s known as the “Wheelchair Rule” while it weighs changes to the requirements. The remainder of the rule will be enforced.
Originally set to take effect in January, the rule requires annual training for airline staff and contractors who help people with disabilities or who handle wheelchairs. The regulations also mandate stronger standards for how assistance must be provided, specifying that it be “safe and dignified,” and they spell out steps airlines must take if a wheelchair is damaged or delayed.
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In addition, the rule finalized late last year by the Biden administration makes it an automatic violation of the Air Carrier Access Act if airlines damage or delay the return of a wheelchair or another assistive device.
The Trump administration said previously that it would delay enforcement until March in order to “review the final rule to ensure that it is consistent with the law and administration policies” before announcing that it would hold off until at least August.
Now, however, the Transportation Department says it will continue to delay enforcement of “certain provisions” while it “engages in a new rulemaking that will consider whether to modify those provisions.” That process is being dubbed “Wheelchair Rule II.”
The provisions that the Transportation Department is reconsidering relate to airline liability for mishandled wheelchairs, how often airline staff must be trained, a mandate that passengers are notified before departure of their right to contact complaint resolution officials and file a claim as well as reimbursements for higher fares in the event that a wheelchair or scooter user must take a more expensive flight in order for their mobility device to fit.
“This exercise of enforcement discretion is intended to remove the burden of complying with requirements under review by DOT and does not prejudge the outcome of the new rulemaking,” the Transportation Department said in its notice.
The agency said that it expects to propose a new version of the rule in August 2026 and plans to determine whether to issue a final rule no sooner than Dec. 31, 2026. The four provisions in question will be delayed until that date, the agency said.
“The department has and will continue to support flyers with disabilities,” a Transportation Department spokesperson said. “Our new rulemaking does not impact enforcement for the majority of requirements in the Wheelchair Rule. Instead, the department is temporarily delaying four provisions within the rule to re-evaluate whether they adhere to statute or if they are redundant. No final decision has been made.”
About 5.5 million Americans use wheelchairs and 1 out of every 100 wheelchairs or scooters on domestic flights is damaged, delayed or lost, according to data provided when the rule was finalized last December.
Several major U.S. airlines sued over the rule earlier this year arguing that the Transportation Department overstepped its authority.
Heather Ansley, chief policy officer at Paralyzed Veterans of America, said that the Wheelchair Rule’s requirements are necessary to ensure the “safety and dignity” of passengers with disabilities.
“We believe that any efforts to decrease its protections or delay enforcement of any of the rule’s provisions only prolongs the risks wheelchair users face every time they fly,” Ansley said.
