On April 23, the Associated Press released footage from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey showing the infamous New York-to-Paris Delta Air Lines stowaway passing through airport security last November.
In the video, Svetlana Dali, 57, is patted down by a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agent at John F. Kennedy International Airport and is ultimately cleared. Footage also captured her from behind, walking past gate agents onto the jet bridge on November 26, 2024. She wore blue jeans, a gray hoodie, a black jacket, and carried a dark-colored backpack. Another clip showed the Delta stowaway bypassing gate agents while walking onto the jet bridge amidst other passengers.
“Delta agents, who were busy helping ticketed passengers board, did not stop her or ask her to present a boarding pass before she boarded the plane,” federal charging documents detailed, according to USA Today.
In December, TSA spokesperson David Fitz told the publication that airport security “physically screened [Dali] without any prohibited items.” Fitz added that afterward, Dali “bypassed two identity verification and boarding status stations, and boarded the aircraft.”
What Else Do We Know About The New York-To-Paris Delta Stowaway?
The incident occurred just ahead of Thanksgiving, one of the busiest travel seasons in the United States.
Dali is a Russian citizen with residency in the U.S. She boarded Delta Flight 264 to Paris’s Charles de Gaulle Airport without a boarding pass, evading the airport security measures that usually prohibit this from happening. Flight crew became aware of Dali’s presence on the plane as an unticketed passenger, and French police detained the stowaway upon the plane’s Paris landing. She was returned to the U.S. and received a stowaway charge.
Dali was briefly released from law enforcement’s custody but apprehended again in Buffalo, New York, after removing her ankle monitor. She was allegedly trying to flee to Canada. Since then, the Delta stowaway has been detained, awaiting her time in court. She’s pleaded not guilty, and her trial is set to start next month.
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