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El Al discovers teenage stowaway on Tel Aviv–New York flight amid security concerns

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El Al discovers teenage stowaway on Tel Aviv–New York flight amid security concerns
Policy
Webp 17
Shmuel Zakay, Managing Director of Ben Gurion International Airport | CyberWeek

Earlier this week, a 13-year-old boy was discovered as a stowaway on an El Al flight preparing to depart from Tel Aviv, Israel, to New York, United States. The incident has drawn attention due to the strict security measures at Ben Gurion International Airport, which is recognized for its rigorous protocols.

The teenager managed to bypass multiple layers of airport security and passport control before boarding the aircraft bound for John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. According to El Al's statement: "The flight crew saw a boy who boarded the plane without a ticket or passport after passing all security and border control stages at Ben Gurion. The boy was safely removed from the plane."

Reports indicate that the boy entered the airside area and spent time in the duty-free section before making his way onto the US-bound aircraft. He was found sitting in a seat reserved for crew members, raising suspicion among cabin staff who then alerted authorities. The child was subsequently removed from the plane prior to departure and returned to his mother.

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Israeli officials have described the event as a 'multi-agency failure' and have initiated an investigation into how such a breach could occur despite extensive security procedures. It is believed that the boy evaded detection by staying close to adults while moving through checkpoints.

El Al operates three daily flights between Tel Aviv and New York JFK, typically using Boeing 787 aircraft but occasionally deploying Boeing 777s as well. The journey usually takes about 12 hours gate-to-gate.

Ben Gurion Airport's security measures include initial questioning at check-in, document checks, baggage scans at security checkpoints, biometric verification at passport control, and further document inspection during boarding. Despite these precautions—which have contributed to no terror-related casualties at the airport in over four decades—critics have raised concerns about alleged racial profiling within these processes.

This incident underscores potential vulnerabilities even within some of the world's most stringent aviation security systems.

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