SOLOMON Airlines has terminated its officer manning the Lata office in Temotu after it discovered freights of excess goods of certain passengers are being airlifted for free.
John Menapi confirmed he was given his marching orders on 2 January 2015.
However, Mr Menapi claimed he was sacked for offences he never committed.
“I was a victim in this case,” he claimed.
“This dirty practise was in fact the work of the two ramp officers working with me here at Lata, certain frequent flyers, and some Airline officials in Honiara,” he alleged.
“I have been managing the Lata office well but because of these dealings between certain passengers and the two ramp officers, I was kicked out.”
He claimed there were certain passengers who regularly fly from Lata to Honiara, who would normally approached the two ramp officers and gave them money before weighing their luggage.
“They would then just get the luggage in without charging the passengers the excess weight.
“They would say that the excess weight would be forgone under my privilege as the officer in charge.
“But I’ve told the two officers that there’s no such thing like that because I’ve no privilege to send goods on the plane without paying the freight,” Mr Mepani said.
General Manager Commercial and Operations, Gus Kraus, confirmed Mr Menapi’s termination but gave no details.
Meanwhile, a Solomon Airlines domestic terminal worker said last week when food items arrived by plane from Lata, those who went to collect them at the airport refused to pay the freight.
“No freight was paid at Lata, so when these people came to collect the food items, we asked them to pay the freight.
“But they argued the food items were sent under the privilege of the Lata Airline worker,” the officer said.
By ELLIOT DAWEA
