Following two infiltrations of teens onto flights from Ben Gurion International Airport, the Israel Airports Authority has decided to take steps to upgrade the outbound passenger process, aiming to prevent additional incidents.
Earlier this week, an Israeli teen, approximately 18 years old, managed to sneak onto an Austrian Airlines plane without a boarding pass. Only when he landed in Vienna did the Austrians discover he had no flight ticket, and he was returned to Israel. The case occurred about two months after another severe failure during which a 13-year-old boarded a flight from Ben Gurion to the US without a flight ticket. He slipped past all security circles by staying close to other passengers.
Following the incidents, conclusions were drawn, and boarding pass verification will now be conducted at the initial screening stage at Ben Gurion International Airport.
What has changed? Until now, passengers moved through various stages – from terminal entry to aircraft boarding – without needing to show flight tickets at certain points. Now, through a gradual rollout, travelers will be required to present boarding passes even at stages where this was not previously necessary.
Important to know: During the initial implementation phases, wait times may extend beyond normal, and queues at certain airport junctions may stretch longer than usual. The initiative is being deployed in learning phases, with full completion anticipated over the coming year.
