2024 Delta Air Lines stowaway case

On Tuesday, November 26, 2024, a female passenger was found as a stowaway on Delta Air Lines Flight 264 from New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport to Paris's Charles de Gaulle Airport. The passenger allegedly evaded multiple security checkpoints and boarded the plane without a boarding pass. ^[1]

The incident raised concerns about airport security, especially as it occurred during the busy Thanksgiving holiday.

Suspect

The passenger was identified as Svetlana Dali, a 57-year old Russian national ^[2] with permanent US residency. ^[3] She allegedly had resided in the Rhawnhurst neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and in Washington, D.C. ^{[4] [5] [6] [7] [a]}

Dali has filed two lawsuits in recent months alleging that she is the victim of military-grade chemical weapons and a kidnapping plot, according to court records. A Paris official also told reporters that Dali had previously applied for asylum in France, but was denied. ^[2]

Incident

Dali attempted to go through a TSA security checkpoint but was turned away because she did not have a boarding pass. Several minutes later, she returned but entered a lane for airline employees, where she bypassed the checkpoint and entered the departure area. At the departure gate, she posed as a member of a family traveling together and passed airline agents who were checking boarding passes.

To escape detection, she hid in the lavatory during the flight. Upon arrival in Paris, French police boarded the flight and detained her. Passengers on the flight were unaware of her presence until the flight's arrival. ^[2]

Upon arrival in France, she was detained and scheduled to be deported as she did not meet the requirements for entering Europe. She was placed flights to return to the United States on November 26 and November 30, but was removed from those flights after causing disturbances. ^[9] Eventually, she was returned to the United States on December 4. ^[2]

Legal proceedings

On December 5, 2024, after her arrival back in the United States, Dali was charged by the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York with being a stowaway on a vessel or aircraft without consent and could face up to five years in prison. ^[2] The government and defense agreed to a temporary detainment until 2pm the following day to put together a bail package. The following day, she was released from custody with GPS monitoring and a curfew. She was ordered to stay with an acquaintance in Philadelphia until her trial began. ^[10]

On December 16, 2024, Dali was re-arrested in Buffalo, New York after allegedly cutting off her ankle monitor and trying to flee into Canada via Greyhound bus. ^[11]

The TSA is also pursuing a civil case against Dali.

Notes

1. Allegedly, she also had used the name Svetlana Anatolyevna Lavadskaya (Russian: Светлана Анатольевна Лавадская). She allegedly had been a real estate attorney in Moscow and allegedly had a grandchild and a daughter living in Moscow. ^[8]

References

1. Shafiq, Saman (November 28, 2024). "Stowaway sneaks onto Delta Air Lines flight from NYC to Paris; flies without boarding pass". USA Today.
2. "A stowaway on a flight to Paris is charged in federal court in New York and is temporarily detained". CNN.
3. Neumeister, Larry (December 5, 2024). "Stowaway who boarded New York-to-Paris flight claims she sought asylum in France". AP.
4. Bunch, Jesse (December 5, 2024). "Northeast Philly woman who claimed she was sold as a 'slave' is behind an international stowaway incident: Svetlana Dali made international headlines with her stowaway excursion on a Delta flight between New York and Paris". The Philadephia Inquirer . Archived from the original on December 9, 2024. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
5. Vandoorne, Saskya; Morales, Mark; Lybrand, Holmes; Gingras, Brynn; Harvey, Lex (December 5, 2024). "A stowaway on a flight to Paris faces a court appearance in New York. Here's what to expect next". CNN . Archived from the original on December 5, 2024. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
6. "Россиянка, живущая в США, без билета долетела до Парижа. Теперь ей грозит до 5 лет тюрьмы" [Russian Woman Living in the US Flew to Paris Without a Ticket. Now She Faces Up to 5 Years in Prison]. BBC (in Russian). December 6, 2024. Archived from the original on December 9, 2024. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
7. McGeehan, Patrick; Bensimon, Olivia (December 5, 2024). "How a Stowaway at J.F.K. Airport Made It All the Way to Paris: Prosecutors accused Svetlana Dali, 57, of hiding among other travelers during a busy travel day before Thanksgiving". The New York Times . Archived from the original on December 6, 2024. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
8. Russian Delta stowaway Svetlana Dali scowls through court hearing as ex-husband reveals she used him to secure a Green Card
9. Sanchez, Ray; Muntean, Pete; Skores, Alexandra (December 4, 2024). "'Not much went right': How a stowaway avoided identity and boarding pass checks on a flight from New York to Paris". CNN.
10. Katersky, Aaron; Reinstein, Julia (December 6, 2024). "Russian stowaway charged with sneaking onto flight to France released from custody". ABC News.
11. Katersky, Aaron (December 17, 2024). "Svetlana Dali, the Delta Air Lines stowaway, arrested again trying to flee US". ABC News. Retrieved December 17, 2024.