New regulations designed to expand the rights of airline passengers with disabilities are being further delayed as federal officials consider rewriting them.
The U.S. Department of Transportation said it will continue to not enforce several key provisions of what’s known as the “Wheelchair Rule.”
The 2024 rule, finalized under the Biden administration, requires training for airline staff and contractors who help people with disabilities or who handle wheelchairs. It also beefs up standards for how assistance must be provided, specifying that it be “safe and dignified,” and outlines the steps airlines must take if a wheelchair is damaged or delayed.
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In addition, the rule 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 regulation was supposed to start taking effect in January 2025 and the training mandate went into place this summer. But the Trump administration said last year that it would hold off on enforcing some other pieces of the rule while officials considered issuing a new version dubbed “Wheelchair Rule II.”
Now, the Transportation Department is extending its “enforcement discretion” until April 30, 2027. The delay will apply to the four items that have been on hold as well as a requirement under a separate rule.
The provisions that remain in limbo address how frequently staff refresher training under the disability mandate must occur, airline liability for mishandled wheelchairs, a requirement that airlines notify passengers who check wheelchairs or scooters about their rights and an obligation that airlines reimburse passengers with disabilities for any fare difference if they are forced to book a more expensive flight because their wheelchair or scooter won’t fit on a cheaper flight.
The Transportation Department is also making changes to its enforcement of a 2023 rule requiring that flight attendants be given hands-on training each year related to on-board wheelchair assistance and lavatory accessibility.
The initial training mandate will take effect as planned Oct. 2. However, the agency said it will not enforce the portion of the rule calling for refresher training every 12 months. The Transportation Department said that a large air carrier asked for flexibility to provide the training every 18 months instead and that officials intend to consider that issue within Wheelchair Rule II.
As of last year, federal officials indicated that a proposal for Wheelchair Rule II was expected this month with a final rule coming no sooner than Dec. 31, 2026. The agency now says that the new rule will not be decided before April 30, 2027.
