UNDER-FIRE United Airlines had more than $1BILLION wiped off its value in one day after a video showing a bloodied and upset doctor being forcibly removed from a flight he paid for went viral.
David Dao, a 69-year-old physician from Kentucky in the US, was forced to leave so staff from a partner airline could have his seat for a connecting flight to Louisville.
The video, in which he is shown bleeding from the mouth and apparently disoriented, provoked fury around the world.
Even the White House weighed in, with White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer saying: “When you watch the video, it is troubling to see how that was handled.”
Earlier today the carrier’s stock plunged 4 per cent, but rose after an apology by, Oscar Munoz, the CEO of United Airlines’ parent company. However, it was still down by $250million (£200million) at the time of publication.
Munoz is pledging to review policies after the passenger was dragged off a full fight in Chicago.
He said that no one should be mistreated that way and described the removal by airport police as “truly horrific.”
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He added: “I continue to be disturbed by what happened on this flight and I deeply apologise to the customer forcibly removed and to all the customers aboard.
“We take full responsibility and we will work to make it right.”
Munoz also said the company would reassess policies for seeking volunteers to give up their seats, for handling oversold flights and for partnering with airport authorities.
Dr Dao was seen on cellphone videos recorded by other passengers at O’Hare Airport.
An attorney who represents Dr Dao who was forcibly removed from a United Express flight says his client is being treated at a Chicago hospital for injuries he sustained in the incident.
Chicago attorney Stephen L. Golan says David Dao’s family is “focused only on Dr. Dao’s medical care and treatment.”
He says the family “wants the world to know that they are very appreciative of the outpouring of prayers, concern and support they have received.”
WHY DO AIRLINES OVERBOOK?
The incident spotlighted the practice of overbooking and bumping passengers, which airlines increasingly rely upon to avoid losing money on seats left empty by no-show passengers.
If they were to stop overbooking, “the only way of trying to compensate for that over the long term would be to raise fares on everyone else,” said industry analyst Robert Mann.
Instead, airlines sell more tickets than there are seats on a plane, and are generally able to properly forecast demand to avoid major disruptions, Mann said.
But they sometimes miscalculate and inadvertently book more passengers than a flight can handle.
In those instances, airlines offer travel vouchers and cash compensation to entice passengers to voluntarily give up their seats for later flights.
When such enticements don’t work, airlines have wide latitude under the law.
“If you’re still in the terminal waiting to board, you can be told you can’t board, even if you have a reservation,” Mann said.
“Once you’re on board, you are subject to being deplaned based on the order of the crew.”
“So you don’t really have any rights.”
It has since emerged United had been trying to make room for four employees of a partner airline.