[gyc]

You are absolutely correct that a whole host of laws govern the landlord-tenant relationship. Given how regulated air travel is, as well as United's status as a common carrier, I wouldn't be surprised that there are also similarly restrictive laws for air travel, so I still question whether Dr. Dao did have a duty to vacate his seat despite the breach of contract by United.

[kelnos]

The actual lawyer who wrote this article believes Dao did have a duty to vacate, so I think that's a bit more authoritative than our layperson opinions here. Of course, only a court could really answer that question, and I'm sure United will try hard to settle this out of court.