AN airport worker has sparked a fierce debate over whether he was trashing luggage or not after being filmed hurling items from a plane.
The zoomed-in footage, shot from a terminal window at Madrid–Barajas Airport, shows a ground staffer outside the rear door of a Qatar Airways wide-body jet.
Other viewers suggested the worker was efficiently removing blankets for cleaning, not luggage[/caption]
As a colleague throws items out, the handler catches them and flings them onto the tarmac with incredible force.
The footage soon sparked outrage on social media, with stunned viewers saying the passengers’ cases are being treated with shocking disregard.
One person wrote: “This video should reach his company so they can see how well this man works.”
Another said: “Is that what we pay for checked baggage for?”
A third added: “This only happens in Spain. I’ve never seen luggage treated so badly anywhere else, it’s unbelievable. Almost every time we come back from a trip, the suitcases arrive wrecked.”
A fourth agreed: “Honestly, that’s a disgrace. I’m sure there are plenty of unemployed people who would be happy to do that job properly.”
But some viewers say it may not be luggage at all – pointing out that blankets and soft furnishings are often removed this way for cleaning.
One viewer wrote: “For those who’ve never flown or even seen a plane and criticise without knowing: they’re just taking out the blankets to clean the cabin, it’s not luggage.”
A second added: “Suitcases aren’t unloaded at the passenger doors.”
Meanwhile, another said: “Honestly, I think he’s doing everything right – he’s very efficient at his job.”
Madrid–Barajas Airport and Qatar Airways have been approached for comment.
It comes after a pilot was forced to fly a packed plane in circles around an airport after the sole traffic controller fell asleep on the job.
The Air Corsica service from Paris Orly to Ajaccio found itself stuck in the skies above the Mediterranean when the ground worker failed to respond.
France’s civil aviation authority confirmed on Wednesday that the aircraft spent 18 minutes looping above the island before being cleared to land.
The controller, who had been waiting for the delayed flight, is said to have dozed off while manning the tower alone.
With no backup staff present, no one was available to rouse him or switch on the 2,400-metre runway lights.
As the jet circled, the fire service scrambled to make contact with the tower.
When that failed, police and airport staff eventually climbed up and woke the controller, allowing the plane to land safely.
Meanwhile, a Ryanair passenger was left sobbing on her knees after being banned from boarding her flight.
The tearful woman was left hitting a door in an emotional outburst as airport staff reportedly told her that her hand luggage was too big.
Chaos unfolded at Sofia Airport in Bulgaria when the woman was left screaming, sobbing and venting her frustration over Ryanair‘s strict baggage policy.
The incident happened at Madrid’s Barajas airport (pictured)[/caption]
