Teen stowaway who breached El Al security in October is caught again at Ben

December 19, 2025 at 11:24 AM•1 min read

Security officials at Ben Gurion Airport apprehended a 13-year-old boy who had previously snuck onto an El Al flight to New York.

Key Points

1A 13-year-old boy was apprehended at Ben Gurion Airport on December 19, marking his second documented attempt to breach security protocols this year.
2The minor successfully became a stowaway on an El Al flight to New York in October, boarding the international aircraft without a ticket or valid passport.
3The repeated security breaches at TLV necessitate an urgent review of perimeter controls and boarding verification processes by Israeli aviation authorities.

Security personnel operating at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) apprehended a 13-year-old boy on Thursday, December 19, 2025, after he was spotted attempting to access restricted areas. This marks the second time the minor has been detained at the airport following a highly publicized security breach earlier in the year, raising immediate concerns about persistent vulnerabilities in airport access control.

The apprehension is directly related to an incident that occurred in October, where the same boy successfully bypassed multiple layers of security protocols at TLV. During that prior event, the individual managed to board an international El Al flight bound for New York, traveling without a passport, ticket, or any valid identification. The successful stowaway attempt resulted in a major security investigation focusing on perimeter controls and gate screening procedures.

Aviation security experts note that repeat attempts by the same individual underscore systemic failures in access management and boarding verification processes. Authorities are currently investigating how the minor was able to repeatedly circumvent measures designed to prevent unauthorized access to airside operations and aircraft. The repeated breaches necessitate a comprehensive review of screening methodologies employed by both airport management and the carriers operating from TLV to prevent future incidents.