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Alaska Air Bans Worker Who Got Trapped In Cargo Hold
A contract baggage handler who became trapped in the cargo hold of an Alaska Airlines jet on takeoff from Seattle after falling asleep has been banned from all future work at the airline. The employee of Menzies Aviation, an airport ground services company, made news on Monday as an unintended stowaway on Alaska Flight 448 when he woke up inside the sealed baggage compartment to realise the plane was already airborne. (news.airwise.com) Más...Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
This goes on all the time--Sleeping and going through bags! Does anyone check the pockets of these guys when they exit cargo holds? Don't check it if you can't afford to lose it! What about the actual cost to return the flight, not just cost to the airline, but the paying passengers' time and potentially missed connections or late to meetings, etc.?
I don't believe in lifetime bans. The big picture is no one was injured, a flight was delayed, and the crew logged another TO and landing. Maybe you give a month off, insist on training for the man, and to make sure Menzies knows where everyone is working.
I consider what he did, sleeping on the job, as stealing from the company. If it was up to me, I would fire him, and have fired people for just that.
The impact was much more. Air interrupts are very expensive, the landing may have been overweight, pax may have misconnected, all in all, I'm sure it cost Alaska a lot.
Bah! When you need sleep you need sleep.