Karratha Airport baggage handler ‘stood down’ after footage emerges of suitcases being mishandled
Footage has emerged of a baggage handler carelessly and recklessly tossing passengers’ suitcases from a plane onto a baggage cart at Karratha Airport.
The 56-second video recorded at the Karratha Airport terminal and posted online by a passenger shows the handler tossing suitcases onto a baggage cart and more than once angrily throwing them down with force.
At one point during the footage, one of the thrown suitcases bounces off the cart and the worker’s colleague has to pick it up off the floor.
Baggage handling at the Pilbara airport is conducted by contractor Menzies Aviation.
Comments on the footage on Facebook ranged from outrage to incredulity at the worker’s attitude and lack of care.
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“No wonder my suitcase had one of its wheels broken off recently,” Michael Sweeney commented.
Meanwhile, another comment by Sean Fulton said the worker was having a bad day.
“It’s going to be worse when he gets ‘don’t come tomorrow speech’,” Mr Fulton said.
A Menzies Aviation spokesperson said the baggage handler had been stood down.
The spokesperson said Menzies performs baggage handling services for about 11,000 aircraft every week.
“The recent actions of a baggage handler in Karratha clearly did not meet either Menzies standards nor the standards that passengers expect, and as a result the employee has been stood down,” they said.
In a statement provided to Ngaarda Media, a Qantas spokesman said they were disappointed with the behaviour in the video, which a passenger posted on social media.
“We’ve raised it with our ground handling contractor for urgent action,” they said.
“The ground handler in the video has been stood down while they investigate.”
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