A Belgian couple travelling from Ben Gurion airport in Israel was questioned by police after deserting their child in a rush to board an international flight.

The couple left behind their baby as they sprinted to make their flight from Tel Aviv to Brussels following a dispute with airline staff overpaying for a ticket for their infant child.

The Israel Airports Authority said the couple were intercepted by airport staff on the way to their gate and were sent back to check-in to get their baby boy.

The parents, who both hold Belgian passports, had planned to bring their baby on a Ryanair flight but arrived late, after the check-in counters had closed.

The couple then raced off toward security, leaving the infant behind in a baby carrier at check-in.

Airport staff alerted police and airport security, where the parents were detained for questioning by police, along with the baby, Channel 12 reported.

A Ryanair spokesperson told the JC: "Passengers travelling from Tel Aviv to Brussels (31 Jan) presented at check-in without a booking for their infant. They then proceeded to security leaving the infant behind at check-in.

The check-in agent at Ben Gurion Airport contacted Airport Security, who retrieved these passengers, and this is now a matter for local police.”

It has not yet been made clear if the family eventually made the flight.

Ben Gurion airport is not unaccustomed to emergency situations. Last year, unexploded shell was found in an American family's luggage at the Tel Aviv airport triggering an evacuation.