A 13-year-old boy was detained after attempting to sneak onto a flight at Ben-Gurion Airport for a second time and for illegally staying at the airport terminal, Hebrew media reported this week.
The teenager had previously succeeded in illegally boarding an El Al flight to New York from the airport, bypassing all security checkpoints and without a ticket or passport. He was stopped after attempting to illegally board a flight for a second time.
The boy's father reportedly lives in the US, and he was boarding a flight to NYC in order to visit him, according to N12.
A deputy commander on duty noticed that he was behaving unusually and took him in for questioning, N12 reported. He was caught at the terminal before entering the inspection areas. An investigation into the incident concluded that he clung to other people throughout the journey and reached the plane in his first attempt, the Israeli outlet added.
New security proceedures at Ben-Gurion Airport
As a result of the incident, passengers flying from Israel will soon have their boarding passes checked at earlier stages of the screening process, rather than only near the boarding gate, according to Hebrew media. The Airport Authority emphasized that this step is being implemented gradually.
Hebrew media also mentioned that an 18-year-old Israeli managed to sneak onto an Austrian Airlines flight to Vienna this week without a plane ticket. N12 added that he was arrested upon arrival in the Austrian capital.