A startling video has just trended all over social media featuring a United Airlines flight where an innocent passenger has forcibly dragged away from a flight due to overbooking.
The incident occurred on April 9, on a United Express flight from Chicago bound to Louisville, Kentucky.
The airline said it had asked for four volunteers to give up their seats on the overbooked plane, whose flights would be rescheduled the following day.
One passenger said that United Airlines offered a free one-night stay at a hotel and $800 compensation for the hassle.
Not one single passenger accepted the offer and refused to leave the plane.
Reportedly, the United Airlines computer decided for the passengers by selecting a random middle-aged man to be ejected from the flight.
The man refused to be removed from his seat.
Viral smartphone video posted on social media showed three Chicago Department of Aviation police officers forcefully yank the screaming passenger
Understandably other passengers were upset with the authorities’ treatment of this paying customer – and decided to record the maltreatment he suffered as evidence.
Apparently, the passenger, whom the airline dragged away from his seat, was a doctor on his way to attend to his patients.
A female passenger can be seen and heard shouting, “No! This is wrong! Oh my God, look at what you did to him!”
Netizens then voiced their outrage towards United over the incident.
According the Chicago Tribune newspaper, United spokesman Charlie Hobart said “One customer refused to leave the aircraft voluntarily and law enforcement was asked to come to the gate.”
Video evidence suggests otherwise.
The airline did not return AFP’s request for comment.
“This is an upsetting event to all of us,” United Airlines chief executive Oscar Munoz said concerning this latest controversy. Along with the apology on their website, Munoz said that Untied would conduct a “detailed review of what happened.”
“We are also reaching out to this passenger to talk directly to him and further address and resolve this situation,” the executive said.
Netizen Tyler Bridges, who posted the video on Twitter, wrote: “not a good way to treat a Doctor trying to get to work because they overbooked.”
Bridges also added that the doctor appeared bloodied by Sunday’s incident with law enforcement. He posted a follow up video of the doctor running back on the plane, saying “I have to go home” over and over again.
Watch the controversial video here!