Video of police officers dragging the Chinese-American doctor from an overbooked United Airlines flight sparked an uproar on social media in China.
As the flight waited to depart from Chicago's O'Hare Airport to Louisville, Kentucky, officers grabbed the doctor from a window seat, pulling him across the armrest and dragging him down the aisle by his arms. The passenger was later shown with blood on his face.
The video, posted on social media on Sunday, has been viewed by more than 120 million users in China.
'Just kill me, just kill me': appalling new video shows elderly United passenger begging for mercy.
In the incident, the passenger protested that he was on his way to treat patients in Louisville, Kentucky, and that the company's decision to kick him off the plane along with three others was due to his race.
On Wechat, the popular Chinese social media platform, articles about the incident circulated widely with headlines such as "because he chose United Airlines, he was beaten and dragged off the plane, with blood over his face."
United's booting of a passenger was even dumber than it looks: staff could have flown cheaper on other flights "Many Chinese people feel they are racially discriminated against but don't speak out for fear of losing face, causing Western mainstream media and the public to not take discrimination against Asians seriously," he said.
Another Weibo user, Qian Qian, commented: "If you beat your customers, we will thrash your reputation and your market share around the world, until we hear a sincere apology from your bleeding mouth."
The airline last year celebrated its 30th anniversary of flights to China, but the incident is likely to upset its ambition to attract more Chinese passengers, the report said.
"At United, we want to be the airline that our Chinese customers choose first," the airline's director of sales for Eastern China, Eliza Lin, said in a statement in March last year.
United Airlines chief executive Oscar Munoz said on Twitter that the incident was "upsetting".
One of the security officers involved in the incident has been placed on administrative leave for not following protocol and an investigation is pending, the Chicago Department of Aviation said in a statement.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
