Occasionally, we come across an aviation story that makes us do a double take. Not from delight but due to the sheer absurdity of the conduct of some airline passengers. We will never forget the array of mask-inspired rage and rudeness that arose during the pandemic. And while arguing with airline staff that is only trying to keep everyone safe is no laughing matter, leaving your ticketless baby behind at the check-in counter may be one of the oddest airport behaviors we have ever come across.

On Tuesday, a couple was traveling from Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV) in Israel to Brussels South Charleroi Airport (CRL) on a Ryanair flight and had arrived late to the airport. During the check-in, the couple, who has not been identified, was told they needed to purchase an extra seat for their baby to travel with them. Rather than part with the additional cash, the couple decided to part with their child.

Made a dash for the gate

They promptly abandoned the child in its stroller and tried to make it through security to catch their flight. The check-in agent contacted airport security, who retrieved the parents and alerted the local police. The Israeli Airport Authority has confirmed the incident, sharing the following statement with CNN,

"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."

A source from the local police said that the child was now with its parents and that the matter required no further investigation.

Staff couldn't believe their eyes

According to Ryanair, those traveling with an infant can either pay a fixed price of €25/£25 (around $27/$30) for a lap seat (infants between 8 days and 23 months), or they can buy a separate seat for the child at a standard adult fare.

As reported by The Jerusalem Post, the manager at the Ryanair desk stated,

"We've never seen anything like this. We couldn't believe what we were seeing."

Photo: Farknot Architecht / Shutterstock

Other notable items left behind at airports

A baby might be the strangest item left behind at an airport that we have heard of. That does not mean there aren't plenty of other items that come close. For instance, according to Reader's Digest, Reno-Tahoe International Airport once found the journal of a man who believed his wife was trying to kill him.

And according to the TSA, over $800,000 is left behind at security checkpoints each year, although not in one go. Dublin Airport once told the Express that it had found human ashes and a tombstone with the inscription "You will never be forgotten."

What are the most bizarre airport/passenger incidents you have come across? Leave a comment below and share your stories.

Source: CNN Travel, The Jerusalem Post, Reader's Digest, The Express