TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - An embarrassing crime was unveiled at Soekarno Hatta international airport.

Four baggage handlers and a security official of Lion Air carrier were seen stealing passenger’s possession from the luggage from recording of CCTV of the airport’s security authority.

Nevertheless, the authorities must not stop at arresting them. They have to further investigate their syndicate.

The airline must not shun responsibility as well.

In accordance with the Article 144 of the Law on Flights, it is the airline that is responsible for the safety of the passengers’ luggage.

The airline not only has to compensate the damage to or loss of items but also must find ways to prevent this criminal act. Besides, the baggage handlers and the security officials who were arrested are the airline’s staff.

Tight recruitment process and close monitoring to those officials when they are on duty must be done.

Imposing sanctions to all officials at baggage section, which will be applied by Lion Air if it receives reports of damage of luggage or theft, is one of the preventive methods. Thus, baggage handlers and security officials will monitor one another.

What has been happening so far is that the perpetrators steal items from the passengers’ luggage on the flights they are not assigned at. This method makes it quite difficult to trace them.

Although the safety of the passengers’ luggage is the responsibility of the airlines, PT Angkasa Pura II as the airport’s operator must also take the responsibility. In fact, PT. Angkasa Pura II must evaluate the presence of those porters.

If the improvement in the security system is difficult to implement, PT. Angkasa Pura must take a further step: eliminating baggage handlers.

It is time for this state-owned enterprise to eliminate baggage handlers at Soekarno-Hatta airport such as in other international airports. Those baggage handlers must be replaced by an automatic baggage handling system.

The system has been applied at Kualanamu International Airport in Deli Serdang, North Sumatera, and it minimizes interaction between porters and luggage.

If there is less interaction between baggage handlers with the passengers’ luggage, the chance for the perpetrators to steal items from the luggage will be small.

With this system, everything will be done machine, starting from sorting the luggage in accordance with the schedule and route of the flights to transporting the luggage from the terminal to the airplane, or vice versa.

Passengers can also check-in at any counter without worries that they check in for the wrong flights or is not transported.

The absence of the porters’ service will also educate the passengers, as they will have to take care of themselves and care more about the safety of their luggage.

Once there are no more baggage handlers, the obligation of the airport’s operator is to improve services by increasing or improve the airport’s infrastructures and facilities. Trolleys, for example, must be available in a sufficient number and easily accessed by the passengers.

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