Virgin Blue has sacked a male flight attendant for putting a passenger's toddler in an overhead locker while playing 'peek-a-boo' during a flight last year.
Natalie Williamson said her 17-month-old son Riley and her now estranged husband, Shayne Williamson, were on a flight from Fiji to Sydney when a cabin crew member put the youngster in the locker and closed the latch, the Sunday Herald Sun reports.
"My husband, Shayne, was standing one metre behind my son, Riley, when the air steward picked him up and placed him in the overhead compartment," she said.
She claims her son, now 20-months-old, was stowed away for "up to 10 seconds".
"I stood up and there were people laughing and then I said 'Get my son out of there now'," she said.
The airline has admitted the incident did take place, but said the flight attendant only participated after seeing Mr Williamson play peek-a-boo game with his son.
A Virgin spokeswoman said: "We conducted a thorough investigation of the incident and the staff member involved was subsequently terminated.
"We have expressed our sincere apologies to the guest… The safety of our guests is our top priority and we do not tolerate any breaches of this."
Ms Williamson claims her son is now suffering from anxiety and is too scared to leave her side.
"He won't leave my sight now. He sleeps with me. If I'm not in the same room as him, he will scream and yell 'Mum, mum, mum'," she said.
Ms Williamson was credited for the full amount of the two return flights after she complained, but says she is too traumatised to redeem them.
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