Parents leave ticketless baby at airport check-in as they rush to board flight

Couple traveling from Ben Gurion to Brussels had not purchased a seat for infant; airport staff intercept them, send them back to get child

By ToI Staff 31 January 2023, 4:44 pm 13 Edit

A baby left at check-in at Ben Gurion Aiport, January 31, 2023 (Channel 12 screenshot, used in accordance with clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

A couple who did not purchase a ticket for their baby boy left the infant at the check-in counter in Ben Gurion Airport and tried to board a plane out of the country, the Israel Airports Authority said Tuesday.

The parents, who both hold Belgian passports, had planned to take the baby with them on a Ryanair flight to Brussels but arrived late, after the check-in counters had closed.

The couple then sprinted off toward security, leaving the infant behind in a baby carrier.

Airport staff intercepted the couple and ordered them to go back and get the baby, while alerting police and airport security.

The parents were taken in for questioning by police, along with the baby, Channel 12 reported.

Ryanair staff at the airport said in a statement: “All the workers were in shock. We have never seen anything like that. We didn’t believe what we were seeing,” Channel 12 reported.

Illustrative: Passengers at Ben Gurion International Airport, June 6, 2022. (Gili Yaari/Flash90)

It was not clear if the couple and baby eventually made the flight.