April 22 (UPI) — United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz will not ascent to the role of company chairman after a high-profile public relations debacle.
United Continental Holdings, the airlines’ parent company, said in a public filing Munoz asked that the terms of his employment be changed so he will not be chairman of the board of directors. The filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission did not say Munoz would not ascend to the role, but rather “future determinations related to the chairman position” would be left to the “discretion of the board.” Munoz was expected to take the role of chairman at the company’s 2018 annual stockholder meeting.
The company also said in the filing it is changing its incentive compensation program for senior executives so it will be “directly and meaningfully tied to progress in improving the customer experience.”
The move comes after United faced an intense firestorm of controversy for dragging a passenger off an aircraft after he declined to vacate his seat because the flight was overbooked. David Dao, the 69-year-old doctor who was dragged off the flight at O’Hare International Airport, said he suffered several injuries during the incident, including a concussion.
