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Delta Air Lines has responded after a passenger’s wheelchair was badly damaged during a flight. Latavia Sturdivant, who was crowned Ms. Wheelchair America 2026, has not been able to live her daily life with her specialized wheelchair out of action.
The 33-year-old with cerebral palsy and scoliosis says she is now in constant pain and unable to perform her work. The airline has apologized for its role in the situation and committed to covering the wheelchair’s repair cost.
Delta Passenger Stricken After Wheelchair Damage
As reported by Pix11, Delta passenger Sturdivant was flying to her North Dakota home on January 30 when the incident took place. Having checked her custom wheelchair in for the flight, Sturdivant landed only to discover that the wheelchair had been badly damaged during the flight. According to her, the chair — which had only benefited from major repairs a few months prior — now has damaged motors and brakes, making it unsafe to use again until more repairs are completed.
With no other suitable wheelchair capable of holding her safely and comfortably, this has understandably had a big impact on Sturdivant’s life. She claims she is now unable to turn up to her job or perform advocacy work, and is dependent on her mother for daily support until the chair can be repaired. According to Sturdivant,
“There is no other chair that I can use because it keeps my body in proper alignment, prevents me from having contractions and so Delta needs to do better in taking proper care of our wheelchairs.”
Delta Promises To Cover Costs
In its response, Delta has issued an apology and promised to cover the full repair costs for the wheelchair. At this stage, the carrier says it is waiting for a cost assessment from the vendor. In a statement, the airline said,
“Delta understands the fundamental impact that any damaged mobility aid has on an individual and their daily life. We sincerely apologize for this customer’s experience that did not live up to our standards, and we are in touch with them to ensure we make things right.”
According to Delta’s website, in the event that a wheelchair is damaged during transit, passengers have the right to file a claim and receive a chair on loan, and can also choose a preferred vendor for repair or replacement. Under the Biden Administration, a new rule was proposed that would have given enhanced air passenger rights to wheelchair users and forced US airlines to pay a hefty fine, but this was ultimately not put into law.
Sturdivant has blamed both Delta and Medicaid for the debacle and has been pushing for a change in Medicaid rules to provide full reimbursement for passengers using durable medical equipment.
US Airlines Sue To Reverse USDOT Rule On Wheelchair Damage
Several of the country’s major carriers have teamed up with Airlines For America in an attempt to reverse the rule.
How Did This Happen?
As is customary with airlines, passengers traveling in private wheelchairs will often have to check them into the hold, particularly if they are too large to fit in the aircraft cabin. In such cases, passengers will switch over to an airline-provided chair that will be foldable and collapsible for proper storage onboard.
As noted by Sturdivant, custom wheelchairs get treated “kind of like luggage” when they are put into the hold, and she assumed “it bounced around and got hit” when it was being handled by baggage teams. This is a problem that has affected many disabled passengers flying US airlines in the past, including a high-profile case involving a United Airlines passenger in 2019.
According to Delta, wheelchairs can be brought onboard if they meet size restrictions (not exceeding measurements of 13”x 36”x 42”) and are collapsible. Any travelers with a wheelchair will need to print off and complete a Mobility Device Handling Form before flying.
