WASHINGTON (TVR) – A United States senator plans to introduce a bill that would ban airlines from forcibly removing passengers after they have boarded the plane for overbooking or crew accommodation, like what happened to the Kentucky doctor who was battered and bloodied as he was dragged off a United flight earlier this week.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) said Wednesday he would soon introduce the Customers Not Cargo Act. He issued a public letter calling on his 99 Senate colleagues to join him.

“[W]e should act immediately to ensure that airlines cannot force passengers who have already boarded to leave the plane in order to free up seats for others. Instead, they must provide sufficient incentives to encourage passengers to voluntarily deplane,” Sen. Van Hollen wrote.

Police officers forcibly removed Dr. David Dao from his seat on United flight 3411, as it prepared to push back from the gate Sunday night on its way from Chicago to Louisville.

United’s CEO, Oscar Muñoz, finally issued an unreserved apology Wednesday in the airline’s third statement on the incident.

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Customers Not Cargo Act Letter

Here is the full text of the senator’s letter:

Dear Colleague,

We were all shocked and outraged this week when United Airlines forcibly and brutally removed Dr. David Dao from Flight 3411. That is why I’m introducing the Customers Not Cargo Act to prohibit airlines from forcibly removing passengers after they have already boarded the plane due to oversales or airline staff seeking to fly as passengers.

Department of Transportation regulations make it clear that passengers must be compensated when they are involuntarily bumped prior to boarding, and many airlines offer incentives for customers to voluntarily rebook. These rules and the practice of overbooking should be reexamined to protect passengers. As we do that work, we should act immediately to ensure that airlines cannot force passengers who have already boarded to leave the plane in order to free up seats for others. Instead, they must provide sufficient incentives to encourage passengers to voluntarily deplane.

It is outrageous that airlines can bodily remove passengers after boarding rather than providing appropriate incentives to encourage volunteers. Airlines should resolve these common overbooking issues prior to boarding. I hope you’ll join me in introducing the Customers Not Cargo Act, which would direct the Department of Transportation to update the oversales rule (14 CFR Part 250) to prohibit airlines from doing what United did to Dr. Dao this week. Instead, airlines would have to offer appropriate incentives to solicit volunteers, and do so before boarding whenever practicable. This narrowly-targeted update would protect the rights and dignity of passengers while ensuring that airlines retain flexibility to manage oversales.

If you would like to join as a cosponsor of this legislation, please contact my office.

Sincerely,

Chris Van Hollen

–>RELATED: Congressional Hearings Possible After United Incident

United Issuing Refunds to Flight 3411 Passengers

United Airlines said it would refund the full fare of the tickets for all Flight 3411 passengers, multiple media outlets reported.

Dr. Dao remained hospitalized, according to a statement by his lawyer, and has not made any public comments.

–>READ: Full statement by Dr. Dao’s attorney.

United CEO Gives 1st Interview

United Airlines CEO Oscar Muñoz during an interview with ABC News on April 12, 2017.

In his first interview after the debacle, United CEO Oscar Muñoz told ABC’s Good Morning America Wednesday he felt “shame” after watching the video of Dr. Dao being dragged off the flight by airport police.

“This will never happen again,” Muñoz vowed.

He promised not to “put a law enforcement official onto a plane to take them off … to remove a booked, paid, seated passenger; we can’t do that.”

Muñoz also explained why his initial response to the crisis did not include an apology.

He told ABC’s Rebecca Jarvis he delayed further comment to gather more facts, but acknowledged that “my initial words fell short of truly expressing the shame.”

Watch the GMA interview here.

–>RELATED: United CEO Finally Issues Unreserved Apology; Calls Incident ‘Truly Horrific’

–>RELATED: Chicago Aviation Department Officer Placed on Leave

–>MORE: New Airline Rankings Find Fewer Passengers Bumped

What do you think of the Customers Not Cargo Act? Let us know in the comment section below!

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