U.S. airlines either damaged, lost or delayed delivery of 2.06%
of the wheelchairs and motorized scooters they carried in January, which was
the first full month for which the carriers were required to report such data
to the Department of Transportation.
The new reporting obligation was put in place in the FAA
reauthorization act that went into effect in October. January’s figures were
revealed Friday in DOT’s monthly Air Travel Consumer Report.
Of the mainline U.S. carriers, American and Southwest
reported the worst results in wheelchair and scooter handling. American and the
regional airlines flying under the American Eagle brand mishandled 5.89% of the
wheelchairs and scooters they carried in the cargo areas of their planes during
January. At Southwest, the reported rate was 4.09%.
Both airlines told
the DOT that they are still perfecting their procedures for counting every
wheelchair they enplane. If some wheelchairs were left out of the
counts, the mishandled percentages at each airline would be lower, they said.
Delta and its regional network reported the best wheelchair
and scooter handling among the 10 reporting mainline carriers, with a loss,
delay or damage rate of 0.84%. Allegiant was next best, followed by United,
Alaska, Hawaiian, JetBlue, Spirit and Frontier.
The reporting requirement was authored by Sen. Tammy
Duckworth (D-Ill.), an Army veteran who lost both of her legs as a result an
Iraq war injury.