Lipinski: I Will Continue Fighting on House Aviation Subcommittee for More Airline Passenger Protections

Congressman Dan Lipinski (IL-3) released the following statement:

“Millions of people around the world saw the unsettling videos of a United Airlines passenger being forcibly removed from a plane at O’Hare Airport to make room for airline crew members on a flight. Clearly, United, the Chicago Department of Aviation, and others failed to act appropriately. Many of us who fly frequently have experienced situations related to overbooking, but obviously how it was handled in this circumstance was unacceptable, and no passenger should ever be put through what Dr. Dao was.

“It appears that the boarding system broke down at many levels, and I am continuing to receive updates from the U.S. Department of Transportation, United, and the Chicago Department of Aviation about what occurred, what they are planning to do to prevent it from occurring again, and who will be held accountable. No passenger should be forced to give up a seat on a flight on which they purchased a ticket, much less dragged off a plane.

“As a senior member of the Aviation Subcommittee of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I have fought for and won better consumer protections for airline passengers. I will once again be working on the behalf of passengers to make sure that what occurred last weekend never happens again.”