The forcible removal of an Asian doctor from an “overbooked” United Airlines flight will be probed by the US Department of Transportation (DOT), it said in a statement.
The elderly doctor was violently pulled out of his seat and dragged away on the aisle of the aircraft by police and airline staff after he refused to give up his seat on a flight at Chicago’s O’hara International Airport on Sunday.
“The DoT remains committed to protecting the rights of consumers and reviewing the involuntary denied boarding of passenger(s) from United Express flight 3411 to determine whether the airline complied with the oversales rule,” Xinhua news agency cited the department as saying on Monday.
The DoT response came after the incident of the Asian doctor’s removal was recorded by at least two passengers and the videos went viral on social media, sparking a national outrage.
United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz on Monday said: “This is an upsetting event to all of us here at the United.”
He said the airlines was “reaching out to this passenger” and “further address and resolve this situation”.