MCO Bag Handlers Featured in Viral Video Are Fired for Abusing Luggage

Candid video of ramp workers in Orlando treating passenger belongings “like they were rubbish bags” has passengers up in arms and has resulted in the firing of three airport employees.

When a passenger on a departing Virgin Atlantic flight at Orlando International Airport (MCO) saw baggage handlers lifting bags above their heads and slamming the luggage onto a conveyor belt, he decided to document the bizarre behavior for posterity. Now, his video has been viewed thousands of times and the three airport workers featured in the footage have lost their jobs.

“I saw it out of the window and I couldn’t believe it. It was ridiculous,” 19-year-old Matthew Campbell told The Daily News. “I had to film it for evidence. I’m not sure why they were behaving that way. Maybe, it’s because they work long hours and were tired, but either way it shouldn’t be allowed to happen. I think Richard Branson would be disgusted if he knew the way the luggage on his flights are being treated.”

Although Richard Branson has not weighed in on the matter and it’s not clear from the video whether the airport workers were in fact unloading bags from a Virgin Atlantic flight, both the airport and the air lines were quick to condemn the now-fired employee’s actions.

“We’re aware of a video showing some ground staff at Orlando Airport handling baggage without the due care and attention that we would expect,” Virgin Airlines said in a statement. “We are disappointed to see the footage, and are investigating to ensure this doesn’t happen again.”

Campbell says he posted footage online following his July 27 transatlantic flight back home to the UK. By Thursday, the workers identified from the viral video were already looking for new jobs.

“Providing safe, secure and excellent customer service is our mission at Orlando International Airport,” MCO officials announced in a statement. “The incident viewed is not an example of the level of service we strive for. The employees involved have been removed from working at the airport.”

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