United Making Policy Change Following Passenger Removal

The company won't be using police to remove paid customers anymore
By Michael Harthorne,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 12, 2017 3:55 PM CDT
United to Stop Using Police to Remove People From Flights
People hold signs to protest after David Dao was removed from a United Airlines airplane by Chicago airport police at O'Hare International Airport.   (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune via AP)

"This will never happen again on a United flight," the AP quotes Oscar Munoz as saying Wednesday. "That's my promise." The CEO of United Airlines says the company will no longer use police to remove passengers from overbooked flights, the Wall Street Journal reports. That's the policy that resulted in a 69-year-old doctor being violently dragged from a flight earlier this week. “We’re not going to put a law-enforcement official on to remove a booked, paid, seated passenger,” Munoz says. He adds that he was "ashamed" of video showing a bloodied David Dao being removed from his flight.

Gate agents for United called officers from Chicago's Department of Aviation to remove Dao. One of those officers has been placed on leave for not following proper procedure, according to the department. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel says the Department of Aviation will be conducting a "thorough investigation" to prevent a similar situation from happening in the future, the Chicago Tribune reports. In addition, representatives from the department are scheduled to answer questions from the Chicago city council on Thursday. (More United Airlines stories.)

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