- American Airlines employees are being scammed for carelessly throwing expensive wheelchairs off a plane
- Shocking video shows airline workers throwing their disabled passengers’ seats over the ramp
- In 2022, more than 11,000 wheelchairs and scooters were damaged by American airlines
A shocking video showed American Airlines workers casually throwing custom-made wheelchairs out of a plane and into a baggage aisle while laughing.
In the video taken at Miami International Airport, an employee at the top of the wheelchair ramp lazily throws the devices down the ramp and lets them bounce off the ground.
Another employee waited at the bottom of the driveway, but made no attempt to save the wheelchair after his colleague’s reckless behavior.
American Airlines released a statement following video of the incident saying they had been investigated and the footage was “very concerning.”
According to the Department of Transformation, more than 11,000 wheelchairs, scooters and other disability aids were destroyed by US airlines in 2022.
A shocking video showed American Airlines employees carelessly throwing custom-made wheelchairs out of the plane and laughing
In the video taken at Miami International Airport, an employee at the top of the wheelchair ramp lazily throws the devices down the ramp and lets them bounce off the ground
Another employee waited at the bottom of the driveway but made no attempt to rescue the wheelchair after his colleague’s reckless behavior
The now-viral video was uploaded to TikTok by a user watching the workers.
“Damn, after I saw them do this and laugh with the first two wheelchairs, I had to get it on film. That’s not what I would call ‘handling someone’s mobility aid with care,'” the uploader captioned her shocking video.
American Airlines officials defended the airline: “We recognize the importance of supporting the independence of customers with disabilities by ensuring the proper care of mobility aids while traveling with us.
‘This picture is very concerning and we are gathering more details so we can discuss them with our team.
“We will continue to work hard to improve our handling of resources in our network.”
People were outraged by the video – with many TikTok users expressing concern about the price of wheelchairs: ‘Thanks for recording and I hope people sue American Airlines. Those chairs are expensive.’
Another user said: ‘Knowing our healthcare system, that basic wheelchair was sooooo f*** expensive.’
One message said: “These chairs cost over $3,000. They are not easy to replace and insurance only covers new seats once every five years.’
More than 11,000 wheelchairs, scooters and other disability aids were damaged by US airlines in 2022
The now-viral video was uploaded to TikTok by a user who saw workers carelessly unloading wheelchairs from the plane at Miami airport.
American Airlines released a statement defending the airline: ‘We recognize the importance of supporting the independence of customers with disabilities by ensuring the proper care of mobility aids while traveling with us’
Others were shocked by the lack of care staff had for their disabled passengers: ‘This absolutely infuriates me. My sister’s wheelchair is her lifeline to the skilled world. American Airlines are you kidding me?”
“That’s someone’s lifeline. Literally to survive,” said one TikTok account.
According to the Department of Transportation, airlines mishandle 1.5 percent of the mobility devices they carry.
The DOT reported that 741,582 wheelchairs and scooters were transported and 11,389 damages were reported.