American Airlines - Order 2025-12-5

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is amending Order 2024-10-15 issued on October 23, 2024, Docket OST-2024-0001. Order 2024-10-15 assessed American Airlines Inc. (American) a civil penalty of $50 million and required American to pay $25 million to the U.S. Treasury in three equal installments. American paid approximately $8.3 million on November 24, 2024, and the remaining approximately $16.7 million was due and payable to the U.S. Treasury in two equal payments on November 23, 2025, and November 23, 2026. Instead of these remaining payments of approximately $16.7 million to the U.S. Treasury, this order requires expenditures by American of $16.8 million to benefit passengers with disabilities. More specifically, DOT is requiring American to spend $16.1 million on equipment and systems that improve wheelchair handling for passengers with disabilities that DOT has determined go above and beyond requirements of the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) and 14 CFR Part 382. DOT is also crediting American $700,000 for compensation provided to affected passengers with disabilities in 2024 and 2025.