June 2024 Employees of the Month: Lost wallet with $3,000 returned to passenger before flight
What’s in your wallet? For one passenger who lost his at the departure curb of Miami International Airport last month, it was $3,000 in cash, his residence card, and other forms of identification.
Luckily, Miami-Dade Aviation Department Special Events Division employee Lien Jobst saw the wallet on the ground in the garage and immediately went to several airline check-in counters in the area to look for the owner. When that wasn’t successful, he called his supervisor, Cesar Ledesma, for assistance. After Cesar looked through the wallet and found the owner had an address in Lima, Peru, he started checking with the three airlines at MIA that have flights to Lima.
The second airline Cesar contacted was Sky Airlines Peru, which confirmed that the owner was departing on their flight that day. An airline supervisor got in contact with the passenger, verified his identity, and reunited him with his wallet, for which he was immensely grateful and relieved.
Because Lien and Cesar went the extra mile to turn what would have been a travel nightmare into a miracle for one fortunate traveler, they were named MIA’s June 2024 Employees of the Month.
Miami International Airport, America’s busiest airport for international freight and the second busiest for international passengers, is receiving an unprecedented investment of $14 billion in capital improvements and maintenance upgrades. MIA offers more flights to Latin America and the Caribbean than any other U.S. airport and is also the leading economic engine for Miami-Dade County and the state of Florida, generating business revenue of $212 billion and approximately 60 percent of all international visitors to Florida annually.
To request materials in accessible format, Sign Language Interpreters, CART services and/or any accommodation to participate in any Miami-Dade Aviation Department (MDAD) public meetings and events please email the ADA Office at ADAcoordinator@miami-airport.com or call the office in 305-869-1859 five days in advance to initiate your request. Persons who are deaf or hard of hearing may also call 711 (Florida Relay Service).