A baby was abandoned at an airport check-in desk in Tel Aviv, Israel after his parents learned they had not purchased a plane ticket for the infant.
The parents, who have not been publicly identified, were travelling on a Ryanair flight from Ben Gurion International Airport to Brussels, Belgium on Tuesday. The local news outlet Channel 12 reported that both parents have Belgian passports.
The family arrived late to the check-in counter, which had already closed. Either unwilling or unable to buy a ticket for the infant, the unnamed parents left the baby in its carrier and hurriedly attempted to board the plane.
Shocked airport employees reported the incident to security. In grainy cellphone footage recorded from the check-in desk, and obtained by Channel 12, one clerk is seen investigating the baby carrier.
“She left him here, I swear!” the check-in clerk said in Hebrew.
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Ryanair provided a statement to CNN confirming that the parents “presented at check-in without a booking for their infant.”
“They then proceeded to security leaving the infant behind at check-in,” the statement continues.
Officials retrieved the parents and turned the matter over to police.
The Israeli police also confirmed the incident to CNN and said the matter was resolved by the time authorities arrived at the check-in desk. “The baby was with the parents and there’s no further investigation.”
It is unclear if the family was able to board the flight.
According to the Ryanair website, infants can travel with parents if they sit on an adult’s lap during the flight. The airline has a €25 (about $36) charge for travelling with a baby. Alternatively, a seat can be provided for an infant in a baby carrier or car seat, but it must be paid for.
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