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Saturday, August 2, 2025 - A couple abandoned their 10-year-old son at Barcelona Airport to catch their flight after realising his passport had expired, an airport worker disclosed.
The parents allegedly ditched their child at Barcelona’s El Prat international airport on Wednesday, July 30, so they could board the plane on time.
However, the boy was discovered alone as he waited for a relative to pick him up and the police were called, the air traffic coordinator, called Lilian, claimed.
The airport staff member posted a video, which has wracked up over 300,000 views, telling the story and condemning the parents.
The child had been barred from flying because his passport had expired and did not have a visa.
So the couple were said to have arranged for a family member to pick him up as they went on their way to the plane.
However, when airport staff then found the boy on his own, the police were informed of what had allegedly happened.
"He told them that his parents were on the plane on their way to their home country, going on vacation," said the air traffic controller, whose claims have not been verified.
The plane, which at this point was moments from takeoff, then had to return to the stand, where it was met by police.
The pilot then allegedly asked passengers "if someone had left a child in the terminal and no one had answered."
The couple were eventually found and hauled to the airport’s police station where their son was. It is unclear if they were arrested.
The TikToker said: "I’m an air traffic controller, and as a controller, I’ve seen a lot of things, but this has been completely surreal."
"I’m amazed to think how parents could possibly leave their ten-year-old son at the terminal because he can’t travel due to documentation issues.
"They call a relative, who might take half an hour, an
hour, or three hours, and they calmly board the flight and leave the child
behind," she added.
"As a mother, I’m amazed."
