Wizz Air baggage handler caught on camera hurling luggage off plane

A baggage handler at Gatwick Airport has been suspended after being caught on camera hurling luggage with great force out of the hold of a Wizz Air plane.

In a video taken on 6 February, the worker cannot be seen but from an open door of the plane’s cargo hatch, large suitcases are seen flying out and landing with a crash on the conveyor belt that is shuttling them down into a cart.

The suitcases are seen hitting the side of the plane, before rebounding and falling onto the conveyor belt, while other cases are seen landing on the belt with force.

The passenger recording the video, which was obtained by The Sun, is heard chuckling from inside another aircraft at Gatwick as the bags being hurled out of the plane with great power.

Aircraft ground handling company Menzies, who employs the handlers at the airport, as well as Wizz Air, told the publication that this was an “isolated incident”.

The baggage-throwing incident was not caught on CCTV, however, the blame was laid on one worker who is currently suspended amid an investigation and will not work in Wizz Air baggage handling in the future.

In a statement to The Independent, an airline spokesperson said: "Wizz Air sincerely apologise for the treatment of passengers' luggage in a recent video.

“Such behaviour is not tolerated, and a full investigation has been launched to ensure it does not happen again.

“Although we take full responsibility, the baggage handlers in the video are not our employees, but subcontracted staff from our contracted service provider.

“The investigation has already revealed that the employee in question has a clean record with the airport authorities.

“They are suspended pending a full investigation.”

Wizz Air added: “Passengers should be assured that this isolated incident is not reflective of Wizz Air’s usual high standards, and the person involved in the incident will not work in the airline's operations in the future."

A spokesperson for Menzies told The Independent: “The actions demonstrated by the individual does not represent our standards, and we have zero tolerance for this type of behaviour.

“We can confirm that the employee involved admitted fault and appropriate action was taken.

"We continue to work in partnership with Wizz Air, delivering the high-quality aviation services they've come to expect.”

It is not the first time staff have been caught throwing bags with force off planes after a flight has landed.

In 2022, a video went viral showing American Airlines baggage handlers throwing passengers’ luggage forcefully onto the tarmac.

In the video baggage handler is seen tossing multiple wheeled cases onto the floor by a plane, before picking up a soft black holdall and walking with it, then throwing it to the ground from around five feet away.

That same year, two Qantas baggage handlers caught on camera hurling suitcases onto a collection conveyor belt and laughing were fired for their treatment of the luggage.

A video posted on TikTok, shows one bag is thrown with so much force that it knocks several other cases, and falls off the belt.

Qantas said the behaviour was not acceptable and said the two men would no longer work on its flights.

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