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United Airlines CEO sends letter praising staff after doctor was forcibly removed from an overbooked plane

The CEO of United Airlines has been roundly criticised for a letter he sent to employees after the controversial incident during which a man was forcibly ejected from an overbooked plane.

The letter from CEO Oscar Munoz was leaked to journalists shortly after it was sent out.

He defended the employees who forcibly removed and appeared to injure the man, writing that they “followed established procedures for dealing with situations like this one”.

The letter also said the airline was "left with no choice" but to act the way it did.

People on social media responded with incredulity, saying the letter was 'painfully tone-deaf'.

The letter also praised employees, saying: "I want to commend you for continuing to go above and beyond to ensure we fly right."

Here is the full text of the letter:

Dear Team,

Like you, I was upset to see and hear about what happened last night aboard United Express Flight 3411 headed from Chicago to Louisville. While the facts and circumstances are still evolving, especially with respect to why this customer defied Chicago Aviation Security Officers the way he did, to give you a clearer picture of what transpired, I’ve included below a recap from the preliminary reports filed by our employees.

As you will read, this situation was unfortunately compounded when one of the passengers we politely asked to deplane refused and it became necessary to contact Chicago Aviation Security Officers to help. Our employees followed established procedures for dealing with situations like this. 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 right.

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. 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.

Oscar

The letter then goes on to detail United's version of events: