United CEO on dog death: ‘We got it wrong last week’
United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz personally acknowledged Wednesday that the carrier mishandled an incident that resulted in a dog’s death.
“We got it wrong last week,” Munoz told a gathering at the Executives’ Club in Chicago, according to Bloomberg. “We take this deeply seriously.”
United has weathered a series of issues related to its pet policies in recent days, including the death of a French bulldog after a flight attendant forced the dog’s owner to place it in the overhead bin. The dog was found dead by its owners after a flight from Houston to New York. Within days of that incident, the airline accidentally shipped two separate dogs to the wrong locations.
Earlier this week, the airline suspended its pet-shipping business, pending a thorough review of the program. The review is expected to conclude by May 1.
“We are deeply committed to the safety and comfort of the animals and pets in our care. We are conducting a thorough and systematic review of our program for pets that travel in the cargo compartment to make improvements that will ensure the best possible experience for our customers and their pets,” the airline said in a press release.
United shares are down more than 3% since the dog’s death.