The Transportation Department is contemplating rolling back several elements of the rules put in place by the Biden administration to protect flyers who use wheelchairs.
The administration is targeting August of next year to begin regulatory process that could codify the rollbacks.
"This rulemaking is intended to restore common sense governance while maintaining core accessibility protections for air travelers with disabilities," the DOT said in a document spelling out long-term regulatory plans.
The department plans to re-examine four of the regulations that were finalized last December by the Biden administration.
The first of those was designed to make it easier for the DOT to fine airlines that mishandle wheelchairs. The trade group Airlines for America (A4A) specifically targeted that provision in a lawsuit it filed over the winter, saying that the change was too broad, even applying to wheelchairs that were properly secured in the cargo hold but were damaged by severe turbulence.
The DOT also plans to re-examine a provision requiring annual training for airline workers who load wheelchairs onto aircraft or who help transport flyers in wheelchairs. Under that provision, workers would have to complete their initial training prior to performing wheelchair-related duties.
The DOT said it will reconsider the frequency of the required training, but it's authority to adjust will be limited by congressional mandate. The FAA reauthorization bill of 2024 called for trainings at least every 18 months.
The third regulation the DOT plans to re-evaluate is a requirement that airlines refund flyers for the cost difference if they must take a more expensive flight than their preferred flight because the cargo hold on that preferred flight can't accommodate their chair.
Finally, the department will consider rolling back a requirement that airlines notify passengers whose wheelchairs have been damaged or mishandled of their rights to file a claim, receive a loaner chair from the airline and to choose a vendor for repairs or replacement.
Regulations were to go into effect last January
The first of the new regulations protecting flyers who use wheelchairs was supposed to take effect last January, with further implementations through June of next year. However, the Trump administration has twice delayed implementation, with the most recent delay formally ending on Aug. 1. But implementation still hasn't begun. In an email, the DOT said it is considering potential enforcement actions to take.
The department has previously said the delays were imposed to determine if the regulations are consistent with the law and administration policies and to consider issues raised by airlines in their February lawsuit.
Plans to roll back protections for flyers with wheelchairs are consistent with other Trump DOT policies related to consumer protections.
The administration has also announced plans to re-evaluate elements of Biden administration regulations about refunds for canceled and delayed flights, as well as a regulation that requires ancillary fee disclosures at the beginning of a flight search.