US airlines have become slightly better at mobility aids in 2023. The 10 major carriers transported 835,327 wheelchairs and other assistive devices last year, and there were 11,527 reports of damage, the Department of Transportation said. That is a rate of 1.38 damaged devices per 100 transported devices, compared to 1.41 per 100 in 2022.
USA TODAY covers incidents of damage to mobility devices by airlines throughout 2023, and a recurring theme in the reporting was that when wheelchairs or other mobility devices are damaged in transit, it is akin to broken legs for the person using the device.
The DOT is tracking these incidents and released full-year figures in February. The data showed a slight improvement in wheelchair handling across the industry, but for advocates and regulators, this is still not enough.
“Any number greater than zero is not an acceptable number,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg previously told USA TODAY. “This not only affects your journey, but also your life.”
How many mobility aids did the major US airlines mishandle last year?
Here are the rankings:
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Allegiant air In 2023, we transported 21,926 mobility aids, and there were 82 reports of misuse – a rate of 0.37 per 100.
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Delta Airlines and its regional partners transported 189,263 mobility devices in 2023, and there were 1,292 reports of misuse – a rate of 0.68 per 100.
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United Airlines and its regional partners transported 152,549 mobility devices in 2023, and there were 1,761 reports of misuse – a rate of 1.15 per 100.
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Hawaiian Airlines In 2023, we transported 12,270 mobility aids, and there were 148 reports of misuse – a rate of 1.21 per 100.
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JetBlue In 2023, we transported 29,965 mobility aids, and there were 482 reports of misuse – a rate of 1.61 per 100.
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Southwest Airlines In 2023, we transported 212,721 mobility aids, and there were 3,460 reports of misuse – a rate of 1.63 per 100.
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US airlines and its regional partners transported 146,061 mobility devices in 2023, and there were 2,589 reports of misuse – a rate of 1.77 per 100.
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Alaska Airlines and its regional partners transported 30,918 mobility devices in 2023, and there were 568 reports of misuse – a rate of 1.84 per 100.
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Border airlines In 2023, we transported 28,125 mobility aids, and there were 528 reports of misuse – a rate of 1.88 per 100.
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Spirit Airlines In 2023, we transported 11,529 mobility aids, and there were 617 reports of misuse – a rate of 5.35 per 100.
Southwest and Frontier Airlines did not comment on their performance before publication. Still, Delta, United, Hawaiian, JetBlue, American and Alaska all emphasized that they understand the importance of mobility aids to the travelers who rely on them, and pointed to the various investments and improvements they have made in recent years to accessibility .
Spirit Airlines, which performed significantly worse than its competitors, said it wants to improve but did not outline specific steps it was taking.
“We are committed to the safe transportation of our guests and their mobility devices, and we are investigating this to ensure that the level of service provided consistently meets our standards,” a statement from the airline said.
Zach Wichter is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in New York. You can reach him at zwicher@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How did airlines handle mobility aids in 2023? Here are the numbers
