§ 382.125. What procedures do carriers follow when wheelchairs, other mobility aids, and other assistive devices must be stowed in the cargo compartment?
578 words·~3 min read·
/us/cfr/t14/s§ 382.125·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
(a)As a carrier, you must stow wheelchairs, other mobility aids, or other assistive devices in the baggage compartment if an approved stowage area is not available in the cabin or the items cannot be transported in the cabin consistent with FAA, PHMSA, TSA, or applicable foreign government requirements concerning security, safety, and hazardous materials with respect to the stowage of carry-on items.
(b)You must give wheelchairs, other mobility aids, and other assistive devices priority for stowage in the baggage compartment over other cargo and baggage. Only items that fit into the baggage compartment and can be transported consistent with FAA, PHMSA, TSA, or applicable foreign government requirements concerning security, safety, and hazardous materials with respect to the stowage of items in the baggage compartment need be transported. Where this priority results in other passengers' baggage being unable to be carried on the flight, you must make your best efforts to ensure that the other baggage reaches the passengers' destination on the carrier's next flight to the destination.
(c)You must provide for the checking and timely return of passengers' wheelchairs, other mobility aids, and other assistive devices as close as possible to the door of the aircraft, so that passengers may use their own equipment to the extent possible, except
(1)Where this practice would be inconsistent with Federal regulations governing transportation security or the transportation of hazardous materials; or
(2)When the passenger requests the return of the items at the baggage claim area instead of at the door of the aircraft.
(d)In order to achieve the timely return of wheelchairs, you must ensure that passengers' wheelchairs, other mobility aids, and other assistive devices are among the first items retrieved from the baggage compartment.
(e)You must notify passengers in writing when they check wheelchairs or scooters to be stowed in the baggage compartment that they have the right to contact a CRO, how they can contact a CRO, and the right to file a claim with the airline if their wheelchairs or scooters are mishandled while in your custody. You must provide this notification in an accessible format for individuals with disabilities. (f)(1) You must notify passengers with disabilities, before the aircraft cabin door closes, whether their wheelchairs or scooters have been loaded in the cargo compartments of their flights, including whether their device could not fit on the passenger's scheduled flight because of its size or weight.
(2)If a passenger's wheelchair or scooter is not loaded on his or her scheduled flight for whatever reason, you must offer to disembark the passenger and rebook them at no additional cost on the next available flight operated by you or a partner carrier. In addition, when you become aware that a passenger's wheelchair or scooter does not fit on the passenger's scheduled flight, if that is the case, you must offer to rebook the passenger at no additional cost on the next available flight operated by you or a partner carrier where the wheelchair or scooter will fit, if such an aircraft is available.
(3)You must notify passengers with disabilities, before they deplane, when their wheelchairs or scooters have been unloaded from the cargo compartments of their flights upon arrival.
(4)You must provide the notifications required by paragraphs (f)(1) and
(3)of this section in an accessible format for individuals with disabilities. [Doc. No. DOT-OST-2004-19482, 73 FR 27665, May 13, 2008, as amended by DOT-OST-2022-0144, 89 FR 102442, Dec. 17, 2024]
Connections8 cite this
Citation graph
cites case law
§ 382.125
What procedures do carriers follow when wheelchairs, other mobility aids, and other assistive devices must be stowed in the cargo compartment?
Fed. Reg.×8
Cites 0Cited by 8 across 1 source