by - A young boy was abandoned by his parents at a Tel Aviv airport check-in counter, authorities said.
- The parents were late for their flight and didn’t have a ticket for the child’s trip, CNN reported.
- The couple then ran off to try to board a Ryanair flight bound for Brussels, the Israel Airports Authority said.
A young boy was abandoned by his parents at a Tel Aviv airport check-in counter after they were late for their flight and did not have a ticket for the infant’s travel, Israeli authorities said.
The unidentified parents, who held Belgian passports, left their baby in a stretcher at Ben Gurion International Airport on Tuesday, Israel Airports Authority CNN said.
“A couple and an infant with Belgian passports arrived at Terminal 1 for a flight without a ticket for the baby,” the Israel Airports Authority said, according to the report.
The agency added, “The couple were also late for the flight after check-in for the flight closed.”
The parents then “disappeared from the car seat with the baby and ran to the security checkpoints at Terminal 1 to reach the boarding gate for the flight,” according to the Israel Airports Authority.
A Ryanair spokeswoman told CNN that the couple went to security and “left the child at check-in” after not having a booking for the baby.
It is unclear whether the parents could not or did not want to buy a ticket for the baby.
“The check-in clerk at Ben Gurion Airport contacted airport security who picked up these passengers and this is now a matter for the local police,” the airline spokeswoman said.
The child was eventually reunited with the parents when police arrived at the scene.
“The baby was with the parents and there is no further investigation,” an Israel Police spokesman told CNN.
The incident has apparently left Ryanair staff stunned.
“All the workers were in shock. We’ve never seen anything like it. We didn’t believe what we saw,” a Ryanair executive told local news outlet N12.
According to Israel Hayom, the parents never got on the plane.
Ryanair and the Israel Airports Authority did not immediately respond to insider requests for comment on Wednesday.
