WASHINGTON, March 14 (Reuters) - Northwest Airlines Corp. (NWAC) has agreed to pay up to $700,000 to settle charges that disabled passengers repeatedly suffered discrimination such as missing connecting flights because the fourth-largest U.S. airline left them at the wrong gate. The Department of Transportation, which brought the case in September seeking more than $3 million in what it said was the largest civil penalty ever against a carrier, said on Thursday the airline could offset part of the settlement fine by improving its services for the disabled. "We're pleased that we resolved the complaint in this manner so that the bulk of the penalty will be devoted to investing in and improving our services for people with disabilities," Northwest spokeswoman Kathy Peach said. The department had contended that on hundreds of occasions, Northwest allegedly took a long time getting wheelchairs, left passengers on aircraft for extended periods of time, and left passengers at the wrong gates, according to the agency's enforcement office. The investigation stemmed from a formal complaint filed by two air travelers who said the airline failed to provide them with wheelchairs even though they had been requested more than a month ahead of time, DOT said. In a statement released at the time the charges were brought, Northwest said it had proposed developing a joint committee of DOT and industry members, as well as members of disability groups, "to address the logistical problems faced by the airline industry." It also said it proposed developing a "best practices" standard for the airline industry to add substance to what it called ambiguous regulations. On Thursday, the airline also agreed not to violate in the future department rules banning discrimination against disabled passengers, the DOT said. ©2002 Reuters Limited.