The CEO of United Airlines has said that agents were “left with no choice” but to call security in an incident that saw a passenger being violently dragged off an overcrowded flight to Louisville on Sunday.
In an email leaked to ABC News, Oscar Munoz said his staff had followed “established procedures” by calling security officers to remove what he described as a “disruptive and belligerent” passenger.
Video footage taken inside the aircraft by a fellow traveller shows a man being pulled out of his seat and dragged down the aisle by three security guards, his face bloodied.
According to witnesses, the flight from Chicago to Louisville was over capacity and several seated passengers were asked to voluntarily give up their seats in exchange for compensation.
After a man refused, citing his professional commitments, three security guards came on board and allegedly slammed his face against the armrest before booting him out of the flight.
Munoz said he was “upset” to see and hear what had happened but ultimately blamed the melee on the stubborn customer.
“Our employees followed established procedures for dealing with situations like this,” Munoz wrote. “While I deeply regret this situation arose, I also emphatically stand behind all of you, and I want to commend you for continuing to go above and beyond to ensure we fly safe”
United employees only called security officers after the passenger repeatedly refused to follow instructions and became “more and more disruptive and belligerent,” Munoz wrote.
“I do, however, believe there are lessons we can learn from this experience, and we are taking a close look at the circumstances surrounding this incident,” he added. “Treating our customers and each other with respect and dignity is at the core of who we are, and we must always remember this no matter how challenging the situation.”
According to the Chicago Department of Aviation, one of the three security officers involved in the brawl has been “placed on leave.”
“The incident on United flight 3411 was not in accordance with our standard operating procedure and the actions of the aviation security officer are obviously not condoned by the Department,” Aviation Department Karen Pride told CBS Chicago in an email.
Last month, industry trade mag PR Week honored Munoz as its “Communicator of the Year.”
