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 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 cell phone footage recorded from the check-in desk, and one clerk is seen investigating the baby carrier.
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 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. It was not clear if the couple and baby eventually made the flight.