Delta fined over treatment of disabled passengers
Delta has been fined $2 million for poor handling of disabled passengers.
It is the largest fine ever imposed on an air carrier by the US Transportation Department (DOT).
The DOT found that Delta failed on many occasions during 2007 and 2008 to help passengers with disabilities.
Delta has agreed to pay the fine by signing a consent agreement.
In a statement, the airline said it takes "the responsibility of serving customers with disabilities seriously and has made significant investments in technology, feedback assessment and training".
The incidents that led to the fine involved passengers in wheelchairs who were left unattended for more than 30 minutes either on the plane after other passengers had departed, in a terminal or on a tarmac, according to federal records.
The Aviation Enforcement Office also found that Delta failed to respond adequately to complaints about treatment of disabled passengers and didn’t properly report each complaint with the federal agency.
By David Wilkening, TravelMole US
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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