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European Airlines Hit With DOT Penalties

Passengers and disabled person in the interior of the airport

Air France, British Airways and Lufthansa face penalties for alleged Air Carrier Access Act violations.

Three European airlines are facing a combined total of over $500,000 in penalties, under accusations each did not do enough to assist disabled passengers. In a press release, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced the fines against Air France, British Airways and Lufthansa as part of a sweeping enforcement action.

According to public records, the penalties stem from situations that occurred between 2012 and 2014. In each of the cases, the DOT alleges each airline did not do enough to respond to disabled customers’ complaints about their experiences. Investigators accuse each carrier of not properly responding to the complaints, including informing each passenger how to request an investigation with the DOT.

“When air travelers file complaints with airlines, they deserve prompt and complete responses that appropriately answer their specific concerns,” Transportation secretary Anthony Foxx said in the press release. “We will continue to take enforcement action when airlines violate our rules protecting the rights of passengers.”

In mitigation, each airline claimed they had adequately responded to complaints levied by disabled travelers. British Airways told investigators they made “every effort to provide complete responses to all passenger complaints,” claiming the difficulty was on third-party contractors at individual airports. Air France used their SAPHIR program as a defense, which aims to reduce barriers between disabled passengers and access to international travel. Lufthansa claimed the allegations against them “do not relate to how Lufthansa cares for or treats its passengers with respect to the service-related requirements,” but rather was directly related to how a response was provided.

If the penalties are fully enforced, both Air France and British Airways face $200,000 in penalties, while Lufthansa faces of $150,000. The enforcement marks the second major action by the DOT, after fining United Airlines $2.75 million for alleged consumer protection rule violations in January 2016.

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