Summary

United Airlines apologized to Melissa Sotomayor after crew members tried to make her remove her son’s ventilator during a March 8 flight from Tampa to Newark.

Sotomayor, whose 2-year-old son relies on a ventilator and tracheostomy tube, said staff demanded the equipment be stowed for takeoff despite prior medical clearance.

A third flight attendant claimed the child would “be OK” without it. The captain called her “difficult” and said the equipment was a safety risk.

Sotomayor expressed feeling humiliated and vowed never to fly United again.