United Air CEO calls dragging incident a ‘humbling experience’

United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz, pivoting from a public apology to face investors, assured Wall Street that the carrier would rebound from the uproar that followed the dragging of a passenger off one of its planes. “This will prove to be a watershed moment for our company, and we are more determined than ever to put our customers at the center of everything we do,” Munoz said Monday. “We are dedicated to setting the standard for customer service among US airlines, as we elevate the experience our customers have with us from booking to baggage claim.” The comments were the CEO’s first to investors since the April 9 incident, when security officers forcibly removed David Dao from a flight after he refused to give up his seat to make room for airline employees. Munoz, who also announced a Q1 financial performance that topped expectations, is trying to maintain momentum for his plan to catch up to Delta and American Airlines in profitability and operational performance. “United said the right things regarding its need to upgrade its customer service and should be able to move past its PR nightmare,” Jim Corridore, an analyst at CFRA Research, said in a note to clients in which he reiterated a “strong buy” rating on the shares.<br/>