Korean Air manager disappears after embezzling passenger facility charge in Guam

A former Korean Air manager at a Guam airport disappeared after allegedly embezzling $446,000, according to the carrier and a Guam local daily, Thursday. /Yonhap

By Bahk Eun-ji

A former Korean Air manager who had worked at a Guam airport disappeared after embezzling $446,000 that the carrier was supposed to pay to the airport authority there, according to the carrier and The Guam Daily Post, Thursday.

The newspaper reported that the authorities at Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport recently found in an audit that there was a $446,000 shortfall in passenger facility charges, which Korean Air was supposed to pay between 2016 and 2018.

The passenger facility charge is paid by every passenger when they purchase an airline ticket.

The authorities said they found the discrepancy while comparing passenger arrival manifests to the amounts paid to the airport, because the payment was declining while the number of Korean arrivals was increasing.

The former manager, whose identity was withheld, allegedly deposited the money into his personal bank account and paid a smaller amount to the authorities with a personal check.

He is believed to have fled to the U.S. mainland several months ago.

Korean Air said it paid the shortfall Wednesday and has changed its policy regarding the payment process. Now the U.S. regional headquarters will pay the passenger facility charges instead of leaving the responsibility to branch offices.

The company said it has also registered the missing former manager with Interpol.