The Chicago airport police fired the two agents who had dragged the passenger outside of the airplane. He had boarded a United Airlines flight for which an overbooking problem had been reported. The brutality of their gesture had scandalized the other passengers and, in a few hours, went around the world, causing hype and economic damage to the airline, which burned 570 million dollars of capitalization in the week following the episode.

On that occasion, United Airlines needed to make room for some employees of a satellite company and had chosen by lot the name of who would have to give up flying. But David Dao, a 69-year-old doctor, had turned down the offer of $800 because he would have to work the next day. And the agents then relieved him by force. The number one of the company Oscar Munoz took to the field apologizing for the methods used by the airport police. But in the end Munoz lost his job. And six months later the same happened to the two policemen.