A Delta Air Lines passenger who boarded a New York-to-Paris flight as a stowaway is currently staying in France after disrupting her scheduled return flight to the U.S.
Officials identified the woman as Svetlana Dali, who managed to board the fully booked flight 265 at John F. Kennedy Airport in Queens without a ticket. According to the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Dali, 57, passed through security checkpoints without having her boarding pass or passport verified.
“TSA can confirm that an individual without a boarding pass was physically screened without any prohibited items. The individual bypassed two identity verification and boarding status stations and boarded the aircraft,” the federal agency stated.
Passengers reported that Dali avoided detection on the plane by frequently moving between bathrooms without ever sitting down. Flight attendants eventually noticed her unusual behavior and intervened.
A video shared on social media by a passenger captured the pilot addressing the situation. “They’ve directed us to keep everyone on the airplane until we sort out the extra passenger that’s on that plane,” the pilot announced.
Upon landing in Paris, French authorities detained Dali, who lacked a visa for France. Officials revealed she is a Russian national and a legal U.S. resident.
Dali was rebooked on another Delta flight back to the U.S. from Charles de Gaulle Airport, but her behavior became disruptive, according to a Delta representative. French authorities removed her from the flight, leaving her in France.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Delta are investigating the incident. The TSA also launched an independent review of the security breach at JFK’s travel document checkpoint.
“Nothing is of greater importance than matters of safety and security,” Delta stated. “That’s why Delta is conducting an exhaustive investigation of what may have occurred and will work collaboratively with other aviation stakeholders and law enforcement to that end.”
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which oversees JFK Airport, declined to comment on the matter.