United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz Won't Chair Board In 2018

CHICAGO, IL — United Airlines CEO Oscar has decided not to be the chairman of the embattled Chicago-based company's board next year as planned, according to CNBC. The change was disclosed in a regulatory filing Friday, and it comes in the wake of a media storm following a United passenger being forcibly removed from a flight at O'Hare International Airport earlier this month.

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According to the filing, Munoz initiated the decision not to chair the board in 2018 as his employment deal stipulated, CNBC reports. The filing goes on to state that Munoz is leaving "future determinations related to the Chairman position to the discretion of the Board," the report added.

Munoz's decision comes a day after United and the Chicago Department of Aviation missed a U.S. Senate deadline to respond to lawmakers about the events aboard flight 3411 on April 9. In separate letters Thursday, the airline and the city department asked the Senate transportation committee overseeing the inquiry for an extra week to answer questions surrounding the incident, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Patch's United Flight 3411 Coverage:

No United Airlines Firings Over Passenger Dragging At O'Hare: CEO: United CEO Oscar Munoz said the company never considered firing employees over the recent violent removal of a passenger from a flight.

United, City Of Chicago Will Keep Evidence Related To Passenger Dragging: Lawyers for Dr. David Dao had asked for a court order last week so that video and records from the flight wouldn't be discarded.

Crew Members Will Be Booked 60 Minutes Before Departure Under New Policy: The policy comes after passenger Dr. David Dao was dragged off a flight and left bloodied when he did not give up his seat for a crew member.

Passenger Dragged From Flight Suffered Concussion, Broken Nose: VIDEO: A lawsuit likely after United forced a doctor off the plane to "re-accommodate" him so an airline employee could take his seat.

2 More Chicago Aviation Cops Suspended: PLUS: Passengers will get refunds | Congresswoman wants to end bumping.

United Won't Use Police To Pull Paid Passengers From Flights, Airline CEO Says: VIDEO: United CEO Oscar Munoz called Sunday's incident on a flight out of Chicago a "system failure" during an ABC News interview.

Members of the Senate committee want more details about why Dr. David Dao from Kentucky was violently pulled from his seat by aviation security officers after he was bumped from the flight so that an airline employee could fly. Dao — who refused to give up his seat because he needed to return home to see patients — suffered a concussion, broken nose and other injuries from the dragging.

"Getting answers for the public about what happened and what can be done to prevent such an incident from happening again is a priority for the members of our committee," said a statement from the committee released Friday. "We find any further delay in getting necessary answers unacceptable."

More via CNBC and the Chicago Tribune

United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz in 2016 (photo by Richard Drew | Associated Press)

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