United Airlines has confirmed that the flight attendant involved in the incident leading to Terrell Davis' removal from a plane is no longer employed. The NFL Hall of Famer had been placed on the airline's 'no fly' list following the encounter on July 13, but United has since lifted the ban.
According to United, the letter notifying Davis of the ban was sent the day after the incident, and the action was rescinded shortly after. The airline also stated that the flight attendant in question is no longer an employee, although it remains unclear if this is directly related to the incident involving Davis.
Davis' attorney disputed United's claim that the ban had been communicated to Davis's team, stating that Davis only became aware of the ban being rescinded after his social media post. The attorney criticized United for attempting to discredit the timeline of events.
The letter from United's Passenger Incident Review Committee cited concerns about passenger conduct threatening the safety of employees and other passengers as the reason for the ban. It stated that Davis was not permitted to fly on United Airlines or any regional carrier operating as United Express, but left open the possibility of a review by the committee to lift the ban.
United Airlines spokesperson Leslie Scott confirmed that the letter was generated based on the flight attendant's report, who is no longer employed by the airline. Scott emphasized that United had apologized to Davis for his experience and is reviewing its handling of such incidents to prioritize customer and crew safety.
Davis had tapped the flight attendant on the shoulder to get his attention during a flight from Denver to Orange County, California. The attendant accused Davis of hitting him, leading to Davis being handcuffed upon landing. He was later released and received apologies from law enforcement agents.
In response to the incident, Davis's team plans to move forward with a lawsuit against United Airlines.
