Alaska Airlines bans dozing airport contractor
Alaska Airline says it has permanently banned an airport contractor from working on the carrier’s planes.
Earlier this week the ramp agent took an ill-timed nap inside the cargo hold of an Alaska flight only to wake up mid-flight in a panic.
Flight 448 was forced to return to Seattle after lound banging and screaming was heard by the pilo and passengers from within the front cargo hold.
"The employee has been permanently banned from working on Alaska Airlines planes," said airline spokesman Bobbie Egan.
The airline added that the cargo hold was presserized and tenmperature-controlled and the worker was never in any real danger.
After being briefly evaluated in hospital, the ramp agent suffered no ill effects, other than perhaps a large dose of embarassment.
Emergency services also revealed the worker made a frantic 911 call after waking up.
The worker, who asked to be identified only as ‘Junior,’ spoke to ABC News about the ordeal.
"I woke from a bag hitting me and it was nothing but pitch black and a loud noise. So I was scared and I didn’t know what was going on," Junior said.
"When the bags started moving and I heard the sound of the engine. I had to think fast about what to do for me to get out," he said.
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airbnb eyes a loyalty program but details remain under wraps
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season
Major rail disruptions around and in Berlin until early 2026