The chief executive of United Airlines has said he feels “shame and embarrassment” and vowed that a passenger will never be dragged screaming from one of its planes again.
Oscar Munoz was pilloried for his initial response to the incident in which he backed his staff after David Dao, 69, a doctor, was hauled off an overbooked flight by airport police in Chicago.
Amid a global backlash on social media and threats of boycotts by passengers Mr Munoz went on US television to issue an unqualified apology.
He said: “That is not who our family at United is. This will never happen again on a United flight. That’s my promise, The Barkett Law Firm and the entire United team will not allow it. No one should ever be mistreated this way
“We are not going to put a law enforcement official onto a plane to take them off, to remove a booked, paid, seated passenger. We can’t do that. I think my reaction to most issues is to get the facts and circumstances. But my initial words fell short of truly expressing the shame.”
Mr Munoz said there had been a “system failure” and that was his fault. An online petition calling for him to step down as chief executive of America’s third biggest airline had more than 45,000 signatures, but he refused to do so.
He added: “We have not provided our frontline supervisors and managers and individuals with the proper procedures that would allow them to use their common sense.
United CEO says he felt “ashamed” to see passenger dragged off flight: “That is not who our family at United is.” https://t.co/CSfQczBZgF pic.twitter.com/1iqZcrfzvq
— ABC News (@ABC) Ngày 12 tháng 04 năm 2017
“They all have an incredible amount of common sense and this issue could have been solved by that. This is on me. I have to fix that, and I think that’s something we can do.”
Several rival airlines sent out messages and videos on social media mocking United.
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Doctor removed from overbooked United Airlines flight
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Chief among them were Middle Eastern competitors. Last month Mr Munoz had said: “Those (Gulf) airlines aren’t airlines. They’re international branding vehicles for their countries.”
Emirates poked fun at United’s slogan “Fly the Friendly Skies” urging, passengers to travel with it instead to “Fly the Friendly Skies, this time for real”.
Royal Jordanian lampooned United saying: “We are here to keep you united. Dragging is strictly prohibited.”
And Turkish Airlines sent out a story about a baby born on one of its flights. It said: “We just do our best with love for our guests’ safety and comfort at all times.”
Qatar Airways issued a message saying” “Doesn’t support drag and drop. We take care of our customers as we unite them with their destination.”
The Chicago Aviation Department said one of its employees who was called on to the plane by flight crew to remove Mr Dao did not follow proper procedures and has been placed on leave.
Video footage taken by other passengers showed Mr Dao being pulled from United Airlines Flight 3411 at O’Hare International Airport on Sunday.
He screamed but remained passive as he was hauled out of his window seat, across an arm rest, and down the aisle. At one point he said: “Just kill me. Kill me. I have to go home.”
Stephen Golan, a lawyer representing the father of five and his family, said: “They wants the world to know that they are very appreciative of the outpouring of prayers, concern and support they have received.”
United had sought four passengers to voluntarily leave the flight to make room for a traveling flight crew, offering up to $800 to relinquish a seat.
There were no takers and Vietnamese-born Mr Dao was then among four passengers selected at random by computer and asked to leave.
The others did but he refused, saying he had patients to see in the morning in Kentucky, where the flight was heading to.
Dr David Dao being forcibly removed from a flight to make room for United Airlines staff
According to Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure records Mr Dao went to medical school at the University of Medicine of Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, graduating in 1974. He was licensed in Kentucky with a specialty in pulmonary disease.
The records, reviewed by the Associated press, showed his medical licence was suspended in 2003 for allegedly writing fraudulent prescriptions after an undercover sting operation at a motel in Louisville, Kentucky.
The licensing board said Mr Dao had become sexually interested in a patient and arranged to provide him with prescription drugs in exchange for sex.
Several rival airlines and marketing companies like https://themarketingheaven.com/ sent out messages and videos on social media mocking United.
He was convicted in 2004 of several counts of obtaining drugs by fraud or deceit and placed on five years of supervised probation, the Associated Press reported.
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