World

United Airlines CEO sorry for 'horrific' passenger removal

'I want you to know that we take full responsibility and we will work to make it right'

Reuters April 12, 2017

Chief Executive Officer of United Airlines Oscar Munoz in New York, US. PHOTO: REUTERS

United Airlines Chief Executive Officer Oscar Munoz on Tuesday issued an apology for the treatment of a passenger dragged from aboard one of its flights before takeoff on Sunday.

"I want you to know that we take full responsibility and we will work to make it right," Munoz said in a statement, reversing earlier decisions not to apologize directly for the incident.

United Airlines under fire after passenger dragged from plane

United Airlines sparked outrage on Monday for the treatment of a passenger who was physically dragged off a plane the airline had overbooked, and one of the security officers involved in the incident was placed on leave pending an investigation.

Videos posted online by other passengers showed a man screaming as officers yanked him from his seat on United Flight 3411 before it departed from Chicago O’Hare International Airport to Louisville, Kentucky, on Sunday.