Delta Agrees to Settle Wheelchair Complaint

Delta Air Lines Inc. has agreed to a $1.35-million penalty to settle a complaint of inadequate service to passengers requiring wheelchairs.

The Atlanta-based airline will pay the Transportation Department only $100,000 if it reduces complaints from passengers and spends at least $1.25 million to improve the service.

The department said the civil penalty was the largest for violations of the 1986 Air Carrier Access Act. The agency said Delta failed to provide wheelchairs in some cases, was slow to help passengers or left some stranded in wheelchairs or on planes for extended periods.

The carrier, which did not admit to the allegations, is spending more than the required $1.25 million, a spokesman said.