Parents abandon infant at airport because they only had two tickets

Feb 2 2023, 8:34 pm

People all over the world are shocked after a couple left their baby at an airport check-in counter and made a run to board their flight.

According to CNN, the unidentified pair was flying from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport and headed to Brussels on January 31. They reportedly had Belgian passports, arrived late at the airport, and only realized they needed a ticket for their child at the check-in counter just before security.

The parents could have bought the baby a ticket, given that they were flying via Ryanair, an airline known internationally for its low fares.

A Ryanair spokesperson spoke to CNN and confirmed what happened in the following words:

These passengers traveling from Tel Aviv to Brussels presented at check-in without a booking for their infant. They then proceeded to security leaving the infant behind at check-in. The check-in agent at Ben Gurion Airport contacted Airport Security, who retrieved these passengers, and this is now a matter for local police.

A video showing what happened is adding fuel to the fire, making rounds on social media.

And while people are mostly angry, they’re also joking about the incident.

Ryanair states its policy on travelling with babies on its website, saying that if you plan on bringing your baby on the plane, you have to confirm it at the time of booking your tickets online.

Flying with a baby on Ryanair comes at an extra charge. It will cost you an extra €25 — about $36.5 Canadian — per flight. If you have a return flight, you’ll pay the same amount again.

But that’s just the charge for keeping the baby in your lap. If you wish to use a portable baby seater, you pay extra. The carrier is catching some heat for this policy as well.

The incident was also verified by the Israeli Airports Authority (IAA) and local police officials.

“The couple left the infant seat with the baby and ran toward the security checks at Terminal 1 in an attempt to reach the boarding gate for the flight,” the IAA told CNN.

Fortunately, by the time police officers arrived on the scene, the baby was already with the couple, and no further investigation took place.

There are clashing reports on social media about whether the couple made it to Brussels or were held back in Israel.

Daily Hive has reached out to Ryanair and Israel Airports Authority for further information and will update this story when they respond.

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