United Airlines News 2017: Airline Apologizes to Colorado Mother After Infant Overheats on Delayed Flight
United Airlines is making headlines again as a delayed flight resulted in a 4-month-old baby getting hospitalized due to overheating.
Emily France and her baby were already on board the aircraft and were waiting for their departure at the Denver International Airport. However, the flight was delayed reportedly due to refueling, as well as a rerouting caused by unfortunate weather conditions.
The airline customer revealed that it was already hot inside the plane when she and her child got on.
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"There was just hot air coming from the vents," the mother told the Denver Post. She also said that as the temperature was rising inside the plane, she used wet wipes to cool her baby and attendants brought her bags of ice to press against the child's body.
While she was permitted to exit the aircraft for about 20 minutes to get some air for her son, she was asked to return for takeoff, but things only continued to worsen from there as the inside of the plane was still sweltering.
"His whole body flashed red and his eyes rolled back in his head and he was screaming," France also said. "And then he went limp in my arms. It was the worst moment of my life."
She added that she had to wait for more than two hours before she could get her baby into an ambulace. Owen, France's child, was then treated at the Children's Hospital. He was released the day following the incident and is now recuperating in their home.
United Airlines released a statement to NBC News, saying, "This should never have happened. We are profoundly sorry to our customer and her child for the experience they endured. We are actively looking into what happened to prevent this from occurring again."
Additionally, the airline company said that the pilot returned to the gate as the crew sought help from paramedics, who then provided medical care to the child 16 minutes after the call.
This is not the first time this year that United Airlines has received criticism over their customer treatment. The company was previously under fire for refusing to get two women on board for wearing leggings and for dragging a man off a flight in Chicago.
