US airlines told to improve service or face Congress action

UNITED AIRLINES

FRUSTRATED REPUBLICANS and Democrats Tuesday warned top airline executives to improve customer services or face congressionalinterventionafterapassenger was dragged from a United Airlines flight in an incident the company’s chief executive called a “mistake of epic proportions”.

House Transportation Committee Chairman Bill Shuster, R-PA., said carriers should use the notoriety of last month’s forcible removal of a passenger to make long-needed improvements. If the airlines don’t make changes, Congress is likely to step in, Shuster and other lawmakers said.

“Seize this opportunity”, Shuster told United CEO Oscar Munoz and other airline executives at a hearing.

Otherwise, “we’re going to act and you’re not going to like it,” he said, predicting a “onesize-fits-all” solution that may serve some airlines but not all.

Shuster provided no specifics on what steps Congress would take. Several members of Congress have introduced legislation to ban the bumping of passengers if flights are overbooked.

Munoz apologised repeatedly for the April 9 incident in which passenger David Dao was forcibly removed from a flight, causing a concussion, broken nose and otherinjuries.munozvowedtodo better as he and other airline executives faced tough questions from lawmakers.

“It was a mistake of epic proportions, clearly, in hindsight,” Munoz told a congressional hearing. He said Dao, a Kentucky physician, was treated in a way that no individual should be treated, calling it a “terrible experience” that should never be repeated. AP