United to pay US$2.25m fine; former PANYNJ chair admits bribery

United Airlines has agreed to pay the US govt a financial penalty of US$2.25m for its conduct related to a federal bribery case, but will not be prosecuted criminally in the matter. The announcement of the agreement between United and the US Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey came as former Port Authority of New York and New Jersey chairman David Samson pleaded guilty in a US federal court to bribery, conceding that he approved construction of a hangar for United aircraft at New York Newark International (EWR) only after United agreed to institute twice-weekly flights between EWR and Columbia, South Carolina, near Samson’s vacation home. The revelation of the federal investigation into the EWR-Columbia route led to former United CE Jeff Smisek’s abrupt resignation in Sept 2015. <br/>