United explains passenger removal to senators

United Airlines on Wednesday explained its recent forced removal of a passenger to the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee’s top members.

“We are working to regain our customers’ trust with the highest quality of service and deepest level of respect and care,” United CEO Oscar Munoz wrote to the committee.

“As part of my commitment to ensuring we prevent something like Flight 3411 from happening again, we are finalizing a thorough review of our policies and will be making changes to avoid putting our customers, employees and partners into impossible situations due to policies we control.”

{mosads}Munoz’s letter was sent to Chairman John Thune (R-S.D.) and ranking member Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.).

The message was also addressed to the aviation subcommittee’s chairman, Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), and Sen. Maria Cantwell (Wash.), its ranking Democrat.

Munoz said that United has promised not “to ask law enforcement officers to remove passengers from our flights unless it is a matter of safety or security.”

The aviation CEO added that United would require crews traveling aboard its aircraft to be booked at least 60 minutes before departure, unless there are open seats. Much of what the United CEO laid out has been previously reported. 

The Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) also sent the panel a letter Wednesday, pledging it would help improve passengers’ experiences at the city’s airports.

“As part of the review, at total of four Aviation Security Officers (ASOs) allegedly involved in the incident were placed on administrative leave on April 10, 12 and 19, 2017,” CDA Commissioner Ginger S. Evans wrote.

United is grappling with fallout from the forced removal of a passenger aboard a sold-out flight from Chicago to Louisville on April 9.

David Dao’s attorney claimed earlier this month that the 69-year-old doctor suffered a concussion, broken nose and lost two teeth during the incident.

Footage of security officers roughly dragging Dao off the aircraft by his wrists went viral, provoking national outcry.