Baggage handlers filmed slamming luggage onto conveyor belt at Melbourne airport stood down

Baggage handlers filmed throwing luggage and slamming bags onto a conveyor belt at Melbourne airport have been immediately stood down pending an investigation. The minute-long footage, reportedly filmed at Melbourne airport, shows baggage handlers deliberately slamming luggage into a conveyor belt, throwing suitcases high into the air, and hurling one bag so forcefully it falls off the conveyor belt altogether. The three men, in hi-vis jackets, are unloading a Qantas-branded luggage container. They can be seen smiling as they throw luggage on to the conveyor belt. Amid outrage online, the footage has been set to the song I Still Call Australia Home, which is used by Qantas in its advertising campaigns. The men are employees of Qantas subcontractor Swissport, which Qantas uses to perform “ground handling services” at Melbourne airport. “The behaviour in this video is clearly not acceptable, and our contracted ground handler is conducting an urgent investigation,” a Qantas spokesperson told the Guardian. The Guardian understands the men will not work on Qantas flights again. A spokesperson for Swissport said: “Swissport trains and manages all staff to handle customer possessions with care and diligence. The actions of staff in the video appear to have contravened those service level standards. As a result, the staff in question have been stood down pending an urgent investigation.”<br/>