Airline snafu was bound to happen

Re “Bump by Baggage Cart Leads to Emergency Landing,” Dec. 28

Alaska Airlines hasn’t had its own baggage handlers on the ramp in Seattle in months; they’ve outsourced. The cost savings are significant, but consider that the work is grunt labor by those whose upward mobility means finding higher paying work elsewhere. Training new hires to respect the aircraft never ends. Supervision pushes labor for fast turnaround times, which can result in damage to aircraft, freight and baggage. The result is high turnover.

Who’s responsible when an aircraft’s skin is punctured? Perhaps the “who” is the flying public that wants inexpensive fares on airplanes that go everywhere all the time.

Is this a good time to mention outsourcing aircraft mechanics?

LEE BARTKOWSKI

Long Beach