Airline boss says sorry for man’s removal
● Share price plummets as video of ‘horrific removal’ goes viral
The chief executive of United Airlines has said sorry for the forced removal of a passenger from an overbooked flight, describing it as “truly horrific”.
Oscar Munoz has said he “continues to be disturbed” by the incident, in which the man, a doctor, was dragged screaming off the service from Chicago to Louisville.
The share price of United’s parent company plummeted yesterday after a video of the incident went viral on Twitter.
The chief executive of United Airlines has apologised for the “truly horrific” removal of a passenger from an overbooked flight.
Oscar Munoz has said he “continues to be disturbed” by the incident, during which a passenger was forcibly dragged screaming off a plane.
The passenger, a male doctor, was filmed being removed from the United Airlines service from Chicago to Louisville.
He reportedly refused to leave after saying he needed to return to treat patients.
United’s parent company’s share price plummeted on Tuesday after a video of the incident went viral on Twitter.
Mr Munoz said the company he leads would “fix what’s broken so it never happens again”.
His apology came after new figures revealed that around 50,000 airline passengers a year are bumped off British flights, many of which have been deliberately overbooked.
Paying customers can be forced to abandon a prebooked journey under the practice, which aims to slash costs and promote greener travel.
Data from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) showed an average of 0.02 per cent of passengers travelling to or from the UK experienced so-called denied boarding in 2015, equivalent to more than 50,000 people.
The CAA said in a report: “The main reasons airlines denied boarding were due to overbooking or having to bring in a smaller aircraft than planned to operate a flight.”
Many airlines operating at British airports overbook to mitigate the losses made when passengers cancel or fail to show up for their seats.
Overbooking is also said to spell cheaper fares for travellers and less fuel waste from planes, according to an industry expert.
When too many passengers show up, airline staff will ask, conventionally before boarding, if there are any willing to surrender their seat in exchange for a so-called “bump” offer.
Such incentives, which are often increased until there are enough volunteers, can include cash, a night in a hotel or an upgraded replacement flight, travel writer Simon Calder said.
He said: “Overbooking is a benign practice in general. When it is done properly, it is a win-win for everybody involved.”
If volunteers do not materialise, however, customers face being randomly selected to leave the flight.
Mr Calder said the physical response that the United Airlines passenger experienced was rare.