A month after a woman was caught stowing away on a Delta Air Lines flight to France, another unticketed passenger was apprehended on a flight to Hawaii, this time on Christmas Eve, according to reports.
The latest incident occurred on Delta Flight 487, which was traveling from Seattle to Honolulu on December 24. The plane had to return to the gate while taxiing after the crew discovered the individual without a ticket. Delta confirmed the passenger’s identity has not been released.
“As safety and security are our highest priorities, Delta personnel followed protocol to remove the unticketed individual and ensure their apprehension,” the airline said in a statement.
The flight was delayed for over two hours as TSA conducted additional security screenings and rescreened all passengers.
Port of Seattle Police detained the passenger, who was later found in a terminal restroom with the help of video surveillance. The individual was arrested for trespassing and booked into South Correctional Entity jail.
An investigation revealed the stowaway had passed through a TSA security checkpoint the previous evening without a boarding pass but underwent the standard screening process without carrying prohibited items. TSA stated that the individual bypassed identity verification and boarding pass checks before boarding.
TSA is reviewing the incident and working with Port of Seattle Police to understand how the security breach occurred. Delta’s preliminary investigation indicates the passenger boarded the flight without showing a boarding pass at the gate.
This case follows another stowaway incident involving Svetlana Dali, a Russian national who boarded a Delta flight from New York to Paris in November without proper documentation. Upon arrival, Dali was denied entry into France and deported back to the United States.
A week later, Dali made headlines again when she cut off her ankle monitor and attempted to flee to Canada. She was apprehended in Buffalo, New York, while traveling on a Greyhound bus.
