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A Belgian couple had to be hauled off their flight at Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport, after they left their baby at the check-in desk.
The pair allegedly arrived late for their flight on Tuesday, and while they were allowed to check in, they did not have a ticket for their infant.
The loving parents wouldn’t let this interfere with their travel plans though, and headed off to their boarding gate, while leaving the child at the check-in counter.
According to CNN the couple were checking in for a Ryanair flight from Tel Aviv to Brussels on Tuesday, when it emerged that the baby had forgotten to buy itself a ticket.
In what appears to be the ultimate attempt at teaching a child independence, the parents continued their check-in, headed to the boarding gate, and left the infant right there, prompting Ryanair to alert police.
A spokeswoman for Ryanair told CNN in an email that “the check-in agent at Ben Gurion Airport contacted airport security, who retrieved these passengers, and this is now a matter for local police”.
Also read: Ryanair abandons ‘inappropriate’ Afrikaans citizenship test
Ryanair’s website states that “infants can be included in a flight reservation during the online booking process”.
The low-cost airline charges an additional R466,70 (€25) per flight, for a baby to sit on its parents’ lap. In the case of parents who prefer that their children travel on their own seat, while strapped into their car seats, the price of a full seat applies.
A spokesman for Israel Police told CNN that the matter appeared to have been resolved by the time police arrived on the scene.
He said: “The baby was with the parents and there’s no further investigation”.
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