United Continental Holdings Inc. tumbled early Tuesday as outrage on social media over the removal of a passenger from a flight spread across the globe.
The stock dropped as much as 6.3 percent before paring the loss and trading 2.7 percent lower at 7:27 a.m. in New York.
Officers pulled a passenger from a flight to Louisville, Kentucky, on Sunday evening after he refused to give up his seat and dragged him down the aisle as travelers yelled at them to stop. A recording of the incident posted on social media sent people into a rage over the carrier’s heavy-handed response.
By Tuesday in China, the incident became a talking point in publications and social media. The hashtag #UnitedForcesPassengerOffPlane was the top trending item on Sina Weibo, the equivalent of Twitter, with more than 100 million views. The man who was removed appeared to be of Asian descent.
The Emergency Election Sale is now live! Get 30% to 60% off our most popular products today!