DALLAS — The U.S. government has fined American Airlines US$50 million for failing to provide wheelchair assistance to passengers with disabilities and damaging thousands of wheelchairs over a five-year period.

The Transportation Department said Wednesday that “in some cases,” wheelchair users were injured, but it did not give a number.

American said it has made significant investments to improve the handling of wheelchairs. The airline will be credited US$25 million, or half of its civil penalty, for those investments and compensation paid to affected passengers, according to a consent order.