Juneyao Airlines Crew Member Fired for Taking Passenger's Forgotten Phone

A security crew member of Juneyao Airlines was dismissed after privately keeping a mobile phone left behind by a passenger on board, the Red Star News reported today.

On October 10, a Shanghai resident, identified as Lee, posted online that his father had left his phone on Juneyao Air flight HO1659. The device was allegedly picked up by a crew member and kept without permission.

Lee told Modern Express reporters on October 11 that on September 14, his parents took a flight from Shanghai to Brussels. After arriving in Brussels, his father realized he had left his phone onboard while walking through the boarding bridge.

Due to international regulations, his father could not re-enter the aircraft and requested staff to notify the crew to search for the phone.

Meanwhile, Lee's mother tried calling the missing phone. "The first time, it rang, but no one answered. The second time, it was powered off," Lee said. After being informed, Lee used an anti-theft feature to lock the phone and left a message on the screen with his contact information, asking the finder to reach out. However, he received no response for hours.

Later, Lee discovered through the phone's tracking feature that it was located at a Brussels hotel where Juneyao Air crew members usually stay.

By September 16, the phone's location showed it was in a residential area in Shanghai's Qingpu District. Lee then reported the case to the Yingpu Police Station in Qingpu. Police officers patrolled the area for two to three hours and assured Lee they would investigate further to recover the phone.

In the early hours of September 18, Lee received a call from someone claiming to have found the phone. Lee asked the person to deliver it to the Yingpu Police Station, where he later retrieved it. He learned that the phone was returned by a friend of the crew member who had taken it.

Lee expressed frustration, stating that he had spent about 40,000 yuan (US$5,608) to upgrade his elderly parents to first class for a comfortable travel experience. The incident, however, ruined the first five days of their trip. He demanded a formal apology from Juneyao Airlines and compensation for financial losses, including upgrade fees and travel disruptions.

On the evening of October 11, the crew member involved confirmed to reporters that he had been "persuaded to resign" and was no longer employed. He admitted that he had neither handed over the phone nor reported finding it, both in Brussels and after returning to Shanghai.

The crew member explained that he failed to report the phone initially and, fearing punishment upon returning to Shanghai, decided to handle the return himself. Unaware that the SIM card had been locked by the owner, he waited a day for a call. The next day, after a friend's suggestion, he replaced the SIM card, saw Lee's message, and contacted him to return the phone.

"I never intended to keep the phone. If I did, I would have sold it directly. Why would I carry a traceable phone with me?" he said. He acknowledged mishandling the situation but emphasized that he proactively returned the phone and was not forced by police intervention.

On October 12, Juneyao Airlines confirmed the incident, stating that the crew member failed to follow procedures by not reporting the found phone to the lead flight attendant, violating company rules. An internal investigation also revealed attempts to conceal the incident. The employee's contract was terminated in late September as a result.

The airline is currently in discussions with the passenger regarding compensation.