United Airlines loses $1.3 billion in market value after passenger is dragged off plane
UNITED Airlines’ value is in free fall as the fallout from the ugly incident where a passenger was dragged off a plane grows. The victim has lawyered up.
UNDER-FIRE United Airlines had more than $US1 billion ($1.3 billion) wiped off its value in one day after a bloodied and upset doctor was dragged off a flight he paid for.
David Dao was forced to leave so staff from a partner airline could have his seat for a connecting flight to Louisville, in the US state of Kentucky.
Shocking video of the incident, in which he is shown bleeding from the mouth and apparently disoriented, provoked fury around the world, The Sun reports.
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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, the carrier’s stock plunged four per cent, but rose after an apology by Oscar Munoz, the CEO of United Airlines’ parent company, United Continental.
Mr Munoz has pledged to review policies, saying passengers should not be mistreated and describing the removal by airport police as “truly horrific.”
“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,” he added. “We take full responsibility and we will work to make it right.”
Mr Munoz, who was last month named “US Communicator of the Year” by PR Week, 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.
He said that he would not resign, despite widespread outrage at the company’s actions.
“I was hired to make United better and we’ve been doing that and that’s what I’ll continue to do,” he told Good Morning America on Wednesday.
United CEO Oscar Munoz: I’m sorry. We will fix this. https://t.co/v8EPGsiDCi pic.twitter.com/eOPiYcagvo
— United (@united) April 11, 2017
Dr Dao was seen on mobile phone videos recorded by other passengers at O’Hare Airport.
The Sun-Times reports Dr Dao’s lawyers have filed an emergency petition to preserve records related to the incident.
The filing asks the court to order United Airlines and the City of Chicago to preserve surveillance video recordings depicting passenger boarding, the cockpit voice recording, the passenger list, the complete employee and crew list, and all incident reports prepared by the city and United.
Other records include the protocol of United Airlines in effect regarding the removal of passengers from commercial flights and personnel files of the Aviation Department police who removed Dr Dao from the plane.
A lawyer who represents Dr Dao said his client is being treated at a Chicago hospital for injuries he sustained in the incident.
Chicago lawyer Stephen L. Golan said Dr 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.”
This story originally appeared in The Sun and has been republished here with permission.
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