Israeli Airport Horror: Couple Left Baby At Check-In

Chisom Ndianefo
The Airport
Unsplash | Anna Gru

While the primary causes of child abandonment have been identified as poverty or financial hardship, being a single parent, post-natal depression, mental illness, and so on. Is that sufficient justification for abandoning a child?

However, we're looking into a couple who left their child at the check-in desk at Israel's Ben-Gurion airport before attempting to catch a flight to Brussels.

Swipe to see more.

Where It All Started

Airport terminal
Unsplash | reisetopia

After arriving without a ticket for the infant, a couple abandoned their newborn at an airport check-in desk in Tel Aviv, Israel.

On Tuesday, the unidentified couple was checking in for a Ryanair flight from Ben Gurion International Airport to Brussels, Belgium.

Leaving Their Child Behind Because Of Extra Fees

When it was discovered that the baby did not have a ticket, the parents boarded the flight, leaving their child at the airline check-in counter.

They left the infant in its pushchair at the check-in kiosk and proceeded to the security terminal after being told by airport employees they couldn't board without purchasing a separate ticket.

The Unreal Moment The Baby Was Discovered

The moment stunned airport officials saw the lone pushchair and peeled back a blanket, revealing the abandoned baby underneath, was captured in a video.

The Staff Were Shocked At The Discovery

A shocked person
Giphy | Saturday Night Live

When the staff realizes a baby has been left alone in the stroller with its parents nowhere in sight, screams of surprise can be heard.

The Parents Got Arrested

Staff at the security checkpoint refused to let the couple through, forcing them to return to retrieve the newborn before phoning the cops, who stormed Terminal 1 and immediately arrested them.

They Were Later Detained

Detained
Giphy | ABC Network

The two were detained and questioned.

The Manager's Statement

"We've never seen anything like this," said the manager of the Ryanair

"We couldn't believe what we were seeing."

According to Ryanair, passengers traveling with an infant can either pay roughly £25 for a lap seat or pay a standard adult fee for a separate seat for the child.

What The Air Flight Website Says

Backend of a website
Unsplash | Ilya Pavlov

When making travel plans with a newborn, a pop-up notification appears on the site noting that there is a €25 ($27) charge – or the equivalent in local currency – for each one-way flight the baby takes while sitting on an adult's lap. If the adults want the baby to ride in a car seat, a seat must be purchased separately.

The Airport Authority Reported The Incident

The Israeli Airport Authority also reported to CNN that the couple came late for their trip and left the infant at the check-in desk to make it through security in time.

Their Statement

An Airplane filled with passengers
Unsplash | Suhyeon Choi
"A couple and an infant with Belgian passports arrived for a flight at Terminal 1 without a ticket for the baby. The couple also arrived late for the flight, once the check-in for the flight was closed. 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."

Another Baby Abandonment Occurrence

However, the sad occurrence occurred only one month after airport workers in Mauritius discovered a newborn baby boy abandoned in a plane lavatory bin on New Year's Day.

The infant was discovered aboard an Air Mauritius plane during a normal customs check when the plane landed in Mauritius on January 1.

The Baby Was Not Discovered Until Later

Baby at the airport
Giphy | Idea Distribution LLC

The baby was delivered on the journey from Madagascar but was not discovered until the plane touched down at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport in Port Louis, Mauritius' capital.

Finding The Culprit

A 20-year-old woman arrested with the discovery initially denied being the infant's mother, but a medical examination revealed she had recently given birth.

The Baby Lived!

A Newborn
Unsplash | Tim Bish

The baby was brought to the hospital for treatment and is said to be doing well.