United Airlines has announced it will refund the tickets of all passengers on Flight 3411, where a man was forcibly removed from his seat and dragged off the plane. The incident, which occurred on Sunday at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, sparked widespread outrage after videos of the bloodied passenger went viral.
CEO Oscar Munoz expressed shame over the incident in an interview with ABC's Good Morning America, promising that law enforcement will no longer be used to remove booked, paid, seated passengers. He described the event as a 'system failure' and pledged a review of the airline's policies for handling overbooked flights.
The passenger, identified as 69-year-old Dr David Dao from Kentucky, refused to give up his seat after the airline sought volunteers, offering up to $800 compensation. When no one volunteered, United selected four passengers at random; three complied, but Dao stated he needed to return home to treat patients. Aviation department officers then boarded and dragged him off, leaving him bloodied.
Dao's attorneys have filed court papers to preserve evidence, often a precursor to a lawsuit. The Chicago Aviation Department placed three officers on leave for not following proper procedures. Meanwhile, the US transportation department is reviewing whether United violated overselling rules, and a Chicago city council committee has summoned airline and airport officials to answer questions.
