Continental Settles Charges on Discrimination

Continental Airlines has agreed to pay a $50,000 penalty to settle charges that it violated federal rules banning discrimination against the disabled, the Transportation Department said. The department’s Aviation Enforcement Office said complaints had been filed against Continental in three cases in 1997 and 1998 charging the airline failed to provide adequate assistance to wheelchair-dependent passengers in boarding and leaving aircraft. Two of the complaints also charged that Continental failed to stow the passengers’ wheelchairs in the passenger compartment as required. The agency said it also reviewed records of complaints received by Continental between January 1997 and March 1998 and found other violations of the department’s rules. Those included passengers with disabilities being left aboard an aircraft or in terminal areas for extended periods, failure to provide wheelchair services promptly and failure to adequately respond to complaints from passengers with disabilities.