A woman who managed to sneak aboard a Delta Air Lines flight from New York to Paris without a boarding pass has been charged with stowing away. The incident occurred in late November 2024, when the 57-year-old woman, Svetlana Dali, bypassed multiple security checkpoints at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and boarded the flight undetected.
Dali was able to slip through TSA security by blending in with a group of people and eventually entered the aircraft without presenting a ticket. She remained undetected throughout the transatlantic journey, only being discovered when a flight attendant became suspicious of her long stays in the bathroom during the flight
Once the flight landed in Paris, French authorities detained her. Dali later admitted to the FBI that she had deliberately evaded TSA security to avoid purchasing a ticket.
The situation prompted a federal investigation, and the woman was brought to a Brooklyn detention center, where she expressed concerns about her health. Her defense attorney argued that her actions were more akin to jumping a turnstile than a serious security breach, seeking a lesser penalty
The case raises important questions about airport security protocols, especially the potential vulnerabilities that allow individuals to bypass multiple checks undetected. Delta and federal authorities have launched thorough investigations to understand how Dali was able to board the flight unnoticed, ensuring that such lapses are prevented in the future
