Airline Passenger Films Baggage Handlers Throwing Luggage In Viral Video, Sparks Outrage

An airline passenger caught Cathay Pacific Airways luggage handlers on camera throwing checked-in bags at an airport in Hong Kong. The video, which went viral since being posted on social media last week, sparked outrage among travelers.

The 37-second clip shows two luggage handlers at Hong Kong International Airport flinging the bags -- including suitcases, cardboard boxes and what appear to be fragile items -- from a conveyer belt into a cart. The incident took place when the luggage handlers were unloading the plane after it landed in Hong Kong.

Marcela Fernanda Solis Walker, who recorded the video, said she was concerned about how "our beloved luggage is treated." Walker deplaned from her flight from Xiamen to Hong Kong and uploaded the video on Facebook, following which it was viewed over 5 million times.

The woman also spoke to South China Morning Post (SCMP), saying she didn’t “have any intention to make any trouble to the workers" but "only wanted other people to be aware of the situation.”

The video sparked outrage as several users called the incident “disgusting” and calling the men “lazy.”

“They should get terminated in that company for they can't work properly for that position..” one person wrote on Facebook, while another commented: “I seriously hope this video has been shared to and seen by their employer.

The staff unloading the luggage were dressed in the uniform of Hong Kong Airport Services (HAS), a service provider owned by Cathay Pacific Airways. According to its website, HAS has been awarded the passenger handling permit since 2008.

A representative for the service provider told SCMP the company was aware of the viral video and was investigating the incident.

“We sincerely apologize to the passengers of our customer airlines in this particular incident,” the spokesman said, according to the post.

In another similar incident last month, a passenger filmed the moment her luggage was damaged as baggage handlers hurled suitcases on to a trailer at Manchester Airport. The video shows the staff tossing the bags into a cart without looking.

"I'm very angry and shocked. It was a new case. The case is dented and the protective layer has been torn off it," the woman said at the time.

In another recent incident involving baggage handlers, a Ryanair passenger caught the staff opening a suitcase and stealing a speaker. The passenger, who was traveling from Ibiza to Madrid, Spain, alerted an air steward about the incident which took place last month.

The baggage handler, who had started working three days before the incident, was fired and was likely to face trial on theft charges.