United Airlines Provides Relief Flights For Hurricane Harvey Victims
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Chicago-based United Airlines continues to work to help a couple of hundred of its passengers who are still stranded in Houston because of Hurricane Harvey.
United Airlines spokesman Charlie Hobart said there are nearly 10,000 United employees who live in the Houston area. The airline is telling them that, if they cannot make it to Bush International Airport, they should not risk it and should stay home.
Hobart said there are about 200 customers stuck, for now, at the airport.
"We're bringing in additional relief flights. They're going to have supplies and humanitarian aid that are going to work at the airport and elsewhere, but eventually we're going to work, maybe as early as today, to get those folks out of Houston and back up here to Chicago and then work on re-booking them from there," he said.
Hobart said United put a travel waiver in place earlier last week when it was clear Hurricane Harvey would be bearing down on Houston and that a lot of customers took advantage and re-arranged their travel plans. That's why only 200 customers are stranded at the airport, he said.
"We did fly in more employees and supplies into the area to prepare for, not only the operation itself or what it was going to look like throughout the weekend, but also the eventual recovery," Hobart added.
The airline has nearly 500 flights a day out of Bush International Airport.
