Wheelchair Users Could Soon Bring Their Own Chairs on Flights
Photo Credit: Wheelchair users could soon be able to bring their own mobility equipment onboard flights. Getty / Gilmanshin
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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg wants to keep wheelchair users in their own chairs when they fly. But the chairs and docks must meet federal air crashworthiness standards first.
Wheelchair users may be able to bring their mobility device into the cabin of a commercial aircraft under a plan being developed by U.S. authorities.
“Practically everyone who uses a wheelchair and flies including colleagues of mine here at the [Department of Transportation] has a troubling story about an airline experience,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said on July 26, the 32nd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. “Many have more than one."
“No other form of transportation — trains, buses, boats — forces you to give up your mobility device when you board,” Buttigieg said. “The same ought to be true of airlines. So, in the months and years ahead, we plan to record a new rule that will allow passengers to stay in their personal wheelchairs when they fly. We know this won't happen overnight, but it is a goal that we have to work to fulfill.”
The DOT “plans to take action,” a spokesperson said. “In the next year, the department will de
