More than 11,500 wheelchairs and scooters were mishandled by airlines in 2023, according to the Department of Transportation.

The DOT's Biden-era rule protecting travelers with mobility devices is being brought to court by major U.S. airlines.

In addition to the new rule, the Department of Transportation also fined American Airlines $50 million last October for its mistreatment of disabled passengers, including damage to wheelchairs. At the time, Buttigieg said that the “era of tolerating poor treatment of airline passengers with disabilities is over.”