Air Canada is spending most of the weekend apologizing for what appeared to be a baggage-handling incident from a YouTube video that is circulating on social media.

The video, titled “Air Canada baggage fail 20 ft bag toss in Toronto,” was posted on April 18 on YouTube by user TheDStewart. The video has been viewed over 99,000 times since and has been generating outrage on social media, particularly Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

In the video, shot from a window of an Air Canada plane that had stopped, a baggage handler throws down luggage into a bin from a height visibly more than twice that of the baggage handlers.

Angela Mah, media officer for Air Canada, said in an email that the airline is investigating the video and is in the process of identifying the employees involved. She added that their employment “will be terminated pending the outcome of (the) investigation.”

Dwayne Stewart, who shot the video, told CBC News that the video was shot in Toronto Pearson International Airport while he was waiting to fly to Vancouver.

The reaction on social media was swift; some condemned the airline, others saying that one employee’s actions do not represent the many employees at Air Canada, some even sympathized with the employee.

“If the employee walked down those stairs, he’d be tired before he is finished, he can risk an injury by slipping…,” said YouTube user TheBscit “Is the ‘chance’ of your s*** being damaged worth more than the safety of that employee?”

On Facebook, frustrated customers took the opportunity to comment on an unrelated video of the new Boeing 787 plane about the mishandled baggage issue.

“After watching the video clip on the way Air Canada handled other’s (sic) luggage it is clear our damaged luggage was no accident but instead due to negligent baggage handling,” said Kelley Penhale Muise, reflecting on what she said was a personal instance of damaged luggage. “Will keep this in mind next time we book our flights,” she added.

Twitter user @smithgeo tweeted that he’d seen this happen more than once on flights from Pearson to Heathrow in London, England.

The airline spent much of Saturday doing damage control, responding to users individually through Twitter and issuing statements on YouTube and Facebook.

According to Mah, Air Canada’s baggage handling procedures require gate-checked bags to be carried by hand to the ramp. “The actions of these individuals are not representative of the vast majority of our employees,” Mah said.

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